SBIR Phase II: Nanocomposite Carbon and Graphitic Foams Produced via a Catalytic Approach

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will optimize and scale up the processing of the proposed rapid post-processing and nanocomposite technique for microcellular carbon and graphitic foams to possess superior insulating and conducting properties, respectively. Thermal conductivity and insulation properties may be tailored to either very high or very low. Thermal-mechanical properties of the nanocomposite carbon and nanocomposite graphitic foams after the optimization and scale up research will be characterized. The results of this work will demonstrate that the oxidation stabilization time may be reduced by an order of magnitude, meanwhile enhancing the mechanical properties, as compared to the conventional technique. Lower processing cost and superior thermal-mechanical properties may result in widespread uses of microcellular nanocomposite carbon and graphitic foams for various applications including high-temperature insulation, space structures, and thermal management applications like heat exchangers.