← Back to NASA Technology Projects
Completed
Environmental regulation will force current baseline precision cleaning solvent (AK-225) to be phased out starting 2015; we plan to develop a new solvent or solvent blend that will replace the current baseline solvent (AK225). This project will attempt to develop a solvent around NASA's contamination needs, by using Hansen Solubility Parameters to identify those solvent blends most compatible with NASA's known contaminants, and then test those identified solvents.
The Plan is to test at least 3 solvent blends for cleaning efficiency on coupons exposed to known contaminants. The project has already created a test process that can tie results back to work done in the 1990's. We will use this data to support the Precision Cleaning and Contamination Control (PC3) efforts over the next few years.
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.
None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.