United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

National Institute of Aerospace Associates

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC

Godfrey Sauti

Cheol Park

Jin Ho Kang

Jae-Woo Kim

Sharon E Lowther

Emilie J Siochi

Robert G Bryant

John M Gardner

Sheila Ann Thibeault

Michael W Smith

Joycelyn S Harrison

Luke Gibbons

Kevin Carl Jordan

Peter T Lillehei

Kristopher E Wise

Catharine C Fay

Christopher J Stelter

Mary Ann B Meador

Russell A Wincheski

Larry T Taylor

Phillip A Williams

Keith L Gordon

Tian-Bing Xu

Haiquan Guo

Stephen P Wilkinson

Iseley Marshall

Negin Nazem

Chase Taylor

Katherine A Fotion

Sheila A Thibeault

Joycelyn S Harrisson

Sharon Lowther

A cutting mechanism includes electrodes that are utilized to cut or score a non-conductive outer material of a filament or sheet. The electrodes contact a conductive reinforcing material of the filament or sheet to complete an electric circuit. Electric current flows through and heats the conductive material to oxidize or otherwise separate/cut the conductive material and any remaining non-conductive material.

Cutting mechanism for carbon nanotube yarns, tapes, sheets and polymer composites thereof

A method of fabricating (printing) parts utilizing flexible filaments includes anchoring a portion of a flexible filament to a substrate. A length of flexible filament is extended over the substrate while the flexible filament is in tension to thereby avoid buckling of the flexible filament. The flexible filament may comprise a thermoplastic material and fibers or other reinforcing materials whereby composite 3D parts can be fabricated.

Devices and methods for additive manufacturing using flexible filaments

The invention consists of radiation shielding materials for shielding in the most structurally robust combination against galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), neutrons, and solar energetic particles (SEP). Materials for vehicles, space structures, habitats, landers, rovers, and spacesuits must possess functional characteristics of radiation shielding, thermal protection, pressure resistance, and mechanical durability. The materials are tailored to offer the greatest shielding against GCR, neutrons, and SEP in the most structurally robust combination, also capable of shielding against micrometeoriod impact. The boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) is composed entirely of low Z atoms (boron and nitrogen). Some of the materials included in this invention are: boron nitride (BN) platelets, hot pressed BN, BNNT, BN particle containing resins, BN nanofiber containing resins, carbon fiber reinforced BN containing resins, BNNT containing resins, and hydrogenated BN and BNNT, hydrogen stored BN and BNNT, high hydrogen containing polymer or ceramic matrices, and a combination of these.

Radiation shielding materials containing hydrogen, boron and nitrogen

Consolidated carbon nanotube or graphene yarns and woven sheets are consolidated through the formation of a carbon hinder formed from the dehydration of sucrose. The resulting materials, on a macro-scale are lightweight and of a high specific modulus and/or strength. Sucrose is relatively inexpensive and readily available, and the process is therefore cost-effective.

Sucrose treated carbon nanotube and graphene yarns and sheets

A method of fabricating composite articles includes supplying electrical current to an electrically conductive filament. The electrically conductive filament may include a first material that is electrically conductive and a polymer second material. The polymer second material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic polymer and a partially cured thermosetting polymer. The heated filament is deposited according to a predefined pattern in successive layers to adhere the polymer material of the layers together and build up a three dimensional article. The article includes strands of the first material embedded in a substantially continuous polymer matrix of the second material.

Method for the free form fabrication of articles out of electrically conductive filaments using localized heating

A method of controlling an additive fabrication process includes providing a primary substrate and a test substrate. Polymer test material is extruded onto the test substrate utilizing an extrusion head. The extrusion head is moved relative to the test substrate, and a force required to move the extrusion head relative to the test substrate is measured to thereby generate test data. A part is fabricated by extruding polymer material onto the primary substrate utilizing the extrusion head. The test data is utilized to control at least one process parameter associated with extruding polymer material onto the primary substrate.

Adhesion test station in an extrusion apparatus and methods for using the same

Formation of a boron nitride nanotube nanocomposite film by combining a boron nitride nanotube solution with a matrix such as a polymer or a ceramic to form a boron nitride nanotube/polyimide mixture and synthesizing a boron nitride nanotube/polyimide nanocomposite film as an electroactive layer.

Methods of manufacturing energy conversion materials fabricated with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and BNNT polymer composites

A novel radiation hardened chip package technology protects microelectronic chips and systems in aviation/space or terrestrial devices against high energy radiation. The proposed technology of a radiation hardened chip package using rare earth elements and mulitlayered structure provides protection against radiation bombardment from alpha and beta particles to neutrons and high energy electromagnetic radiation.

Radiation hardened microelectronic chip packaging technology

A method of fabricating composite structures comprising carbon nanotubes. The method including providing a nanotube starting material, forming the composite structure with the nanotube starting material and monitoring at least a magnetic or Raman property of the composite structure while forming the composite structure.

Magnetic and Raman based method for process control during fabrication of carbon nanotube based structures

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs), carbon nontubes (CNTs), graphites, or their combinations, are incorporated into matrices of polymer, ceramic or metals. Fibers, yarns, and woven or nonwoven mates of BNNTs are uses as toughening layers in penetration resistant materials to maximize energy absorption and/or high hardness layers to rebound or deform penetrators. They can be also uses as reinforcing inclusions combining with other polymer matrices to create composite layer like typical reinforcing fibers such as Kevlar&#xae;, Spectra&#xae;, ceramics and metals. Enhanced wear resistance and prolonged usage time, even under harsh conditions, are achieved by adding boron nitride nanomaterials because both hardness and toughness are increased. Such materials can be used in high temperature environments since the oxidation temperature of BNNTs exceeds 800&#xb0; C. in air. Boron nitride based composite materials are useful as strong structural materials for anti-micrometeorite layers for spacecraft and space suits, ultra strong tethers, protective gear for the human body as well as for vehicles, helmets, shields and safety suits/helmets for industry.

High kinetic energy penetrator shielding and high wear resistance materials fabricated with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTS) and BNNT polymer composites

Some implementations provide a device (e.g., solar panel) that includes an active layer and a solar absorbance layer. The active layer includes a first N-type layer and a first P-type layer. The solar absorbance layer is coupled to a first surface of the active layer. The solar absorbance layer includes a polymer composite. In some implementations, the polymer composite includes one of at least metal salts and/or carbon nanotubes. In some implementations, the active layer is configured to provide the photovoltaic effect. In some implementations, the active layer further includes a second N-type layer and a second P-type layer. In some implementations, the active layer is configured to provide the thermoelectric effect. In some implementations, the device further includes a cooling layer coupled to a second surface of the active layer. In some implementations, the cooling layer includes one of at least zinc oxides, indium oxides, and/or carbon nanotubes.

Solar radiation control and energy harvesting film

Multifunctional Boron Nitride nanotube-Boron Nitride (BN&#x2014;BN) nanocomposites for energy transducers, thermal conductors, anti-penetrator/wear resistance coatings, and radiation hardened materials for harsh environments. An all boron-nitride structured BN&#x2014;BN composite is synthesized. A boron nitride containing precursor is synthesized, then mixed with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) to produce a composite solution which is used to make green bodies of different forms including, for example, fibers, mats, films, and plates. The green bodies are pyrolized to facilitate transformation into BN&#x2014;BN composite ceramics. The pyrolysis temperature, pressure, atmosphere and time are controlled to produce a desired BN crystalline structure. The wholly BN structured materials exhibit excellent thermal stability, high thermal conductivity, piezoelectricity as well as enhanced toughness, hardness, and radiation shielding properties. By substituting with other elements into the original structure of the nanotubes and/or matrix, new nanocomposites (i.e., BCN, BCSiN ceramics) which possess excellent hardness, tailored photonic bandgap and photoluminescence, result.

Multi-functional BN&#x2014;BN composite

Consolidated carbon nanotube or graphene yarns and woven sheets are consolidated through the formation of a carbon binder formed from the dehydration of sucrose. The resulting materials, on a macro-scale are lightweight and of a high specific modulus and/or strength. Sucrose is relatively inexpensive and readily available, and the process is therefore cost-effective.

Some implementations provide a composite material that includes a first material and a second material. In some implementations, the composite material is a metamaterial. The first material includes a chiral polymer (e.g., crystalline chiral helical polymer, poly-&#x3b3;-benzyl-L-glutamate (PBLG), poly-L-lactic acid (PLA), polypeptide, and/or polyacetylene). The second material is within the chiral polymer. The first material and the second material are configured to provide an effective index of refraction value for the composite material of 1 or less. In some implementations, the effective index of refraction value for the composite material is negative. In some implementations, the effective index of refraction value for the composite material of 1 or less is at least in a wavelength of one of at least a visible spectrum, an infrared spectrum, a microwave spectrum, and/or an ultraviolet spectrum.

Doped chiral polymer metamaterials

A novel method to develop highly conductive functional materials which can effectively shield various electromagnetic effects (EMEs) and harmful radiations. Metallized nanotube polymer composites (MNPC) are composed of a lightweight polymer matrix, superstrong nanotubes (NT), and functional nanoparticle inclusions. MNPC is prepared by supercritical fluid infusion of various metal precursors (Au, Pt, Fe, and Ni salts), incorporated simultaneously or sequentially, into a solid NT-polymer composite followed by thermal reduction. The infused metal precursor tends to diffuse toward the nanotube surface preferentially as well as the surfaces of the NT-polymer matrix, and is reduced to form nanometer-scale metal particles or metal coatings. The conductivity of the MNPC increases with the metallization, which provides better shielding capabilities against various EMEs and radiations by reflecting and absorbing EM waves more efficiently. Furthermore, the supercritical fluid infusion process aids to improve the toughness of the composite films significantly regardless of the existence of metal.

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Hampton, VA, United States of America

Godfrey Sauti