DIGITAL MATERIALS LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N182-121

Description

Aircraft fuel tanks use explosion suppression foams to mitigate the explosion effects as part of the protection system. However, considering technical challenges in maintenance protocols and relatively high fuel displacement/retention volume percentages coming along with current material solutions, the target application segment requires lightweight and high-performance innovative explosion suppression materials that can ensure reliable long-term use. Digital Materials LLC will develop a novel low-density foam material technology which acts as a heat sink to remove energy during the explosion, mechanically interferes with the flame preceding waves owing to the enhanced surface area, and controls vapor mixture in ullage space having fuel droplets to coalesce through superoleophilic surface characteristic. During Phase I period, Digital Materials LLC will demonstrate the technical feasibility of this foam material via experimental characterization of critical physical properties on the proof-of-concept scale samples. A scalable foam fabrication process will be concurrently designed and developed to produce sub-scale size foam specimens with experimentally validated material performance. Upon successful demonstration, this material may qualify for the airborne military use to be installed in new fuel tanks or retrofitted in existing fuel tanks with ease and reliability.