NANOSONIC INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N192-106

Description

A need for new elastomeric wear-resistant seals for U.S. Navy’s DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer helicopter hangar doors has been identified as current seals cannot withstand the necessary 4800 open-close cycles against the abrasive skid resistant deck surface. NanoSonic is currently producing innovate elastomeric, inflatable, fuel resistant seals for sections within Lockheed Martin’s U-2 Dragon Lady. These complex fiber reinforced seals are compounded with a special nano-filler via a unique extrusion technique that results in nano-exfoliation to maintain the required conductivity and profiles upon installation and inflation. Additionally, NanoSonic is producing extremely high-performance bladders for cryotanks. These leak-tight expulsion bladders resist swelling in hydrazine-based propellants and remain flexible post exposure. During Phase I, NanoSonic proposes to demonstrate our nano-exfoliation extrusion process with an innovate wear-resistant additive within our water and fuel resistant bladder elastomers in a hangar door seal profile. Lifetime predictions of the dynamic mechanical properties shall be tested pre- and post- representative maritime and fuel exposure on coupons. Compression, deflection, and abrasion post salt-water and fuel exposure shall be conducted to evaluate hysteresis and wear of prototype seals. We will work with our Phase II partners at Leistritz and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to transition these seals to NAVSEA.