Reversible Copolymer Materials for FDM 3-D Printing of Non-Standard Plastics

Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) proposes to design and develop thermally-reversible polymeric materials that will function to modify the reprocessing characteristics of current packaging plastics to provide compatibility to Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) type 3-D printing. The application of thermally-reversible polymers combined with a plastic recycling, blending, and extrusion process would allow current and future packaging materials to be processed into a copolymer blend filament suited to the 3-D printing system. This will provide NASA with a means to generate 3-D printer feedstock from on-hand packaging plastics without the need for separate 3-D printer raw material payloads. CRG has already demonstrated the efficacy of thermally-reversible bond structures in commercial adhesive applications, and the proposed concept not only has the potential to enable reclamation and 3-D printing from currently employed packaging materials, but to advance the state-of-the-art in 3-D printing materials technology. CRG's proposed approach to develop thermally-reversible polymer materials to modify current packaging solutions, and demonstration of recycling of those packaging materials into a 3-D printable filament, will provide NASA with a material and processing technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 at the conclusion of the Phase I effort.

Supporting NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) and the MSFC, this project's technologies directly address requirements for solutions to recycling on-board plastics materials into 3-D printable formats for low-earth orbit and space flight additive manufacturing systems. This project's technologies offer a means to take on-board non-critical plastics, such as packaging materials, and reclaim these objects for 3-D printing of needed custom parts without requiring an additional mission payload of 3-D printing feedstock.

Department of Defense systems would derive benefits from this technology, including rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing of complex, low-run number, and advanced design parts. Prime defense contractors could find use of an enabling technology allowing 3-D printing of new and exotic polymeric materials or polymeric composites previously thought incompatible to FDM-type processing. Human systems focused solutions would have the ability to additively manufacture custom components for personnel equipment, such as softer elastomeric materials for integral user-custom equipment. This technology's attributes for improving the compatibility of polymers to 3-D printing systems would yield a high potential for private sector commercialization for 3-D printer manufactures, significantly increasing the materials properties available in the feedstock. Such companies could dramatically expand the thermoplastic raw materials available to consumers, and potentially be able to produce materials with custom mechanical performance on-demand. The technology would enable businesses to additively manufacture components and systems previously impossible due to material limitations.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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