Hrl Laboratories, LLC

The Boeing Company

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

University of California

April Rose Rodriguez

Andrew Paul Nowak

Adam Franklin Gross

Ashley M Dustin

Ashley M Nelson

John J Vajo

Zak C Eckel

Jason A Graetz

Elena M Sherman

Shanying Cui

Carissa Ann Pajel

Panagiotis Emanuel George

Phuong Bui

Alain A Adjorlolo

Hardik Dalal

Thomas I Boundy

Kevin J Drummey

Erin E Stache

Anthony L Smith

Russell Patrick Mott

Xin Ning Guan

James Hillard Davis, Jr

Geoffrey P McKnight

Tobias A Schaedler

Jacob Michael Hundley

Rajesh D Rajavel

Sophia Shu Yang

Darrin Michael Hansen

Timothy J Deming

Richard E Sharp

Phuong P P Bui

Jessica R Kramer

Thomas Boundy

James Hillard Davis

Andrew P Novak

Infrared-transparent polymers, useful for LWIR and/or MWIR transparency, are disclosed. The disclosed infrared-transparent polymers are low-cost, damage-resistant, and economically scalable to commercially relevant substrate areas (1 ftand greater). In some disclosed infrared-transparent polymers, the carbon-free polymer backbone contains a plurality of polymer repeat units of the form wherein Ris selected from the group consisting of alkyls, hydroxyl, amino, urea, thiol, thioether, amino alkyls, carboxylates, metals, metal-containing groups, and deuterated forms or combinations thereof; wherein Ris (independently from R) selected from the group consisting of alkyls, hydroxyl, amino, urea, thiol, thioether, amino alkyls, carboxylates, metals, metal-containing groups, and deuterated forms or combinations thereof; wherein n is selected from 2 to about 10,000; and wherein the carbon-free polymer backbone is linear, cyclic, branched, or a combination thereof.

Infrared-transparent polymers and methods of making and using the same

This disclosure provides resin formulations which may be used for 3D printing and thermally treating to produce a ceramic material. The disclosure provides direct, free-form 3D printing of a preceramic polymer, followed by converting the preceramic polymer to a 3D-printed ceramic composite with potentially complex 3D shapes. A wide variety of chemical compositions is disclosed, and several experimental examples are included to demonstrate reduction to practice. For example, preceramic resin formulations may contain a carbosilane in which there is at least one functional group selected from vinyl, allyl, ethynyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, ester group, amine, hydroxyl, vinyl ether, vinyl ester, glycidyl, glycidyl ether, vinyl glycidyl ether, vinyl amide, vinyl triazine, vinyl isocyanurate, acrylate, methacrylate, alkacrylate, alkyl alkacrylate, phenyl, halide, thiol, cyano, cyanate, or thiocyanate. The resin formulations may contain a solid-phase filler, to provide high thermal stability and mechanical strength (e.g., fracture toughness) in the final ceramic material.

Preceramic 3D-printing monomer and polymer formulations

Some variations provide a method of forming a transparent icephobic coating, comprising: obtaining a hardenable precursor comprising a first component and a plurality of inclusions containing a second component, wherein one of the first component or the second component is a low-surface-energy polymer, and the other is a hygroscopic material; applying mechanical shear and/or sonication to the hardenable precursor; disposing the hardenable precursor onto a substrate; and curing the hardenable precursor to form a transparent icephobic coating. The coating contains a hardened continuous matrix containing regions of the first component separated from regions of the second component on an average length scale of phase inhomogeneity from 10 nanometers to 10 microns, such as less than 1 micron, or less than 100 nanometers. The transparent icephobic coating may be characterized by a light transmittance of at least 50% at wavelengths from 400 nm to 800 nm, through a 100-micron coating.

Methods for fabricating transparent icephobic coatings, and transparent icephobic coatings obtained therefrom

Methods for forming a fluoropolymer coated component, such as a metal component, comprise applying an adhesion promoter onto a surface of the component; applying an organic material onto the adhesion promoter; and applying a mixture comprising a fluoropolymer and a solvent selected from a furan or a fluorinated solvent onto the organic material. Fluoropolymer coatings have a thickness of from about 5 mil to about 80 mil on a component, an average porosity of from about 20% to about 70% based on the total volume of the layer, and a void density of from about 10to about 10voids per cm.

Conformal fluoropolymer coatings

Some variations provide a multiphase polymer composition comprising a first polymer material and a second polymer material that are chemically distinct, wherein the first polymer material and the second polymer material are microphase-separated on a microphase-separation length scale from about 0.1 microns to about 500 microns, wherein the multiphase polymer composition comprises first solid functional particles selectively dispersed within the first polymer material, and wherein the first solid functional particles are chemically distinct from the first polymer material and the second polymer material. Some embodiments provide an anti-corrosion composition comprising first corrosion-inhibitor particles or precursors selectively dispersed within the first polymer material, wherein the multiphase polymer composition optionally further comprises second corrosion-inhibitor particles or precursors selectively dispersed within the second polymer material. These multiphase polymer compositions may be used for other applications, such as self-cleaning, self-healing, or flame-retardant coatings. Methods of making and using these multiphase polymer compositions are disclosed.

Multiphase coatings with separated functional particles, and methods of making and using the same

This invention provides resin formulations which may be used for 3D printing and pyrolyzing to produce a ceramic matrix composite. The resin formulations contain a solid-phase filler, to provide high thermal stability and mechanical strength (e.g., fracture toughness) in the final ceramic material. The invention provides direct, free-form 3D printing of a preceramic polymer loaded with a solid-phase filler, followed by converting the preceramic polymer to a 3D-printed ceramic matrix composite with potentially complex 3D shapes or in the form of large parts. Other variations provide active solid-phase functional additives as solid-phase fillers, to perform or enhance at least one chemical, physical, mechanical, or electrical function within the ceramic structure as it is being formed as well as in the final structure. Solid-phase functional additives actively improve the final ceramic structure through one or more changes actively induced by the additives during pyrolysis or other thermal treatment.

Monomer formulations and methods for 3D printing of preceramic polymers

An anti-fouling coating is provided, containing a continuous matrix comprising a first component; a plurality of inclusions comprising a second component, wherein the first component is a low-surface-energy polymer having a surface energy, and the second component is a hygroscopic material containing one or more ionic species. The low-surface-energy polymer and the hygroscopic material are chemically connected ionically or covalently, such as in a segmented copolymer composition comprising fluoropolymer soft segments and ionic species contained within the soft segments. The continuous matrix and the inclusions form a lubricating surface layer in the presence of humidity. Coefficient-of-friction experimental data is presented for various sample coatings. The incorporation of ionic species into the polymer chain backbone increases the hygroscopic behavior of the overall structure. Improvement in lubrication enables material to be cleared from a surface using the natural motion of an automotive or aerospace vehicle.

Anti-fouling coatings fabricated from polymers containing ionic species

Some variations provide a polysulfide-based copolymer containing first repeat units comprising S-derived sulfur atoms bonded via sulfur-sulfur bonds; and second repeat units comprising an organic, non-aromatic thiol molecule. Other variations provide a polysulfide-based copolymer containing first repeat units comprising S-derived sulfur atoms bonded via sulfur-sulfur bonds; and second repeat units comprising an organic, non-aromatic unsaturated molecule, wherein the polysulfide-based copolymer has a total sulfur concentration of about 10 wt % or greater. Other variations provide a polysulfide-based copolymer containing first repeat units comprising S-derived sulfur atoms bonded via sulfur-sulfur bonds; second repeat units comprising an organic, non-aromatic thiol molecule; and third repeat units comprising an organic, non-aromatic unsaturated molecule. Other variations provide a polysulfide-based copolymer containing first repeat units comprising S-derived sulfur atoms bonded via sulfur-sulfur bonds; and second repeat units comprising an organic, non-aromatic thioether molecule. The disclosed polysulfide-based copolymers provide broadband transparency, fracture toughness, fluid resistance, and low cost.

Broadband-transparent polysulfide-based copolymers

An aqueous precursor liquid for forming an anti-fouling heterophasic thermoset polymeric coating is provided. The precursor liquid includes a first fluorine-containing polyol precursor having a functionality &#x3e;about 2 that forms a fluorine-containing polymer component defining a first phase in the coating. The precursor liquid also includes a second precursor that forms a second component present as a second phase. The first phase can be a continuous phase and the second phase can be a discrete phase, or the second phase can be the continuous phase and the first phase can be the discrete phase. The discrete phase includes a plurality of domains each having an average size of &#x2265;to about 500 nm to &#x2264;to about 25,000 nm. A crosslinking agent, water, and optional acid or base are also present. Methods of making anti-fouling heterophasic thermoset polymeric coatings with such precursors are also provided.

Precursors for forming heterophasic anti-fouling polymeric coatings

This invention provides durable, low-ice-adhesion coatings with excellent performance in terms of ice-adhesion reduction. Some variations provide a low-ice-adhesion coating comprising a microstructure with a first-material phase and a second-material phase that are microphase-separated on an average length scale of phase inhomogeneity from 1 micron to 100 microns. Some variations provide a low-ice-adhesion material comprising a continuous matrix containing a first component; and a plurality of discrete inclusions containing a second component, wherein the inclusions are dispersed within the matrix to form a phase-separated microstructure that is inhomogeneous on an average length scale from 1 micron to 100 microns, wherein one of the first component or the second component is a low-surface-energy polymer, and the other is a hygroscopic material. The coatings are characterized by an AMIL Centrifuge Ice Adhesion Reduction Factor up to 100 or more. These coatings are useful for aerospace surfaces and other applications.

Compositions and methods for fabricating durable, low-ice-adhesion coatings

Infrared-transparent and damage-resistant polymer optics with LWIR and/or MWIR transparency are provided. Some variations provide an optic containing at least 50 wt % of an infrared-transparent polymer, wherein the infrared-transparent polymer has a carbon-free polymer backbone, wherein the optic is characterized by at least 80% average transmission of radiation over a wavenumber band with cumulative wavenumber width of at least 1000 cmcontained within wavelengths from 3.1 &#x3bc;m to 5 &#x3bc;m and/or from 8.1 &#x3bc;m to 12 &#x3bc;m, and wherein the average transmission is defined as the percentage ratio of radiation intensity through an optic thickness of 25 microns divided by incident radiation intensity. Many polymer compositions and pendant groups are disclosed for use in the polymer optics.

Infrared-transparent polymer optics and methods of making and using the same

Methods and compositions for depolymerizing the polymer component of fiber reinforced polymers to facilitate the recovery of free fibers.

Carbon fiber recovery compositions and methods

Some variations provide a reworkable ionomer composition comprising: a polymer containing a plurality of ionic monomers disposed in a chain backbone of the polymer, wherein the ionic monomers have a monomer charge polarity that is either positive or negative; and a plurality of ionic species disposed within the chain backbone of the polymer, wherein the ionic species have opposite charge polarity compared to the monomer charge polarity, wherein the ionic species and the ionic monomers are ionically bonded, and wherein the ionic species are capable of undergoing a reversible oxidation-state transition of at least +1 or &#x2212;1 when in the presence of a redox reagent. The polymer may be selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyacrylates, polyamides, polyesters, polyureas, polyurethane-ureas, polysiloxanes, polycarbonates, and combinations thereof. Many options for ionic monomers and ionic species are disclosed. These reworkable ionomers are useful for many commercial applications, including coatings and polymer parts.

Reworkable ionomers

Growing community of inventors

Santa Monica, CA, United States of America

April Rose Rodriguez