Advanced insulation Materials for Cryogenic Propellant Storage Applications, Phase I

Advanced Materials Technology, Inc (AMTI) responds to the Topic X9 entitled "Propulsion and Propellant Storage" under subtopic X9.01, "Long Term Cryogenic Propellant Storage, Management, and Acquisition". The proposed program will focus on developing new multifunctional insulation materials that will impact cryogenic systems for space transportation orbit transfer vehicles, space power systems, spaceports, spacesuits, lunar habitation systems, robotics, and in situ propellant systems. These innovative materials will be capable of retaining structural integrity while accommodating large operating temperatures ranging from cryogenic to elevated temperatures conditions. These advanced materials can be incorporated into thermal protection systems (TPS), reducing the amount of TPS and its structure. To meet and exceed the NASA's requirements, we propose to develop multifunctional organic/inorganic nanocomposites foams for structural and insulation applications offering affordable cost, lightweight, and high strength, low thermal conductivity, high thermal stability, and easy processability which will result in improved efficiency and reliability of the cryogenic systems. The approach proposed in this program will provide with more flexibility in designing cryogenic insulators. Once the feasibility of the concept of strong, lightweight cryogenic insulating materials is demonstrated in Phase I, we shall scale-up this concept in a Phase II program to meet the NASA's requirements.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications: The innovative foamed organic-inorganic materials can be used in a variety of commercial applications. These materials are expected to outperform polyimide foams in structural and insulation including shipbuilding, aircraft, and medical prosthetics. A major difficulty in the commercialization of polyimide nanocomposite is that the raw materials are still very expensive. The potential applications for the materials developed under this program: include (i) Flame retardant and fire protection. (ii) Thermal insulation, (iii) Acoustic insulation, (iv) Weight reduction, (v) Gaskets and seals, (vi) Vibration damping pads, (vii) Spacers in adhesives and sealant, (viii) Extenders, (ix) Flow/leveling aids.

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.