LUNA INNOVATIONS INCORPORATED — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF181-044

Description

Aerospace platforms require many multi-functional, advanced material solutions as part of their structure in order to provide superior performance and mission capability. One such material is an electrically resistive, reticulated foam material that is installed within aircraft structures.Due to their proximity to fuel tanks, they cannot be completely isolated from aircraft fuel and hydraulic fluids. Foams are not resistant to hydrocarbon fluids, and upon exposure absorb and retain the organic fluids and thus alter their density and create a significant fire hazard. As a result, there is a compelling need for an innovative material solution.The ideal replacement material would be durable, fluid-resistant, flexible for aircraft deflection, and also provide tunable electrical resistivity properties. Chemists at Luna recently developed a class of functional hybrid polymers that demonstrated exceptionally high fluid resistance to hydrocarbon fluids. Incorporation of these novel polymers within an electrically resistive foam is expected to provide superior fluid resistance and reduced volume swell for an open cell system. The proposed Phase I effort will focus on developing this foam material with an emphasis on meeting the target density ( 5.5 lb/ft3), electrical properties (2-18 GHz) and fluid permeability (SAE J2665) requirements as outlined by the Air Force.