Rapid Prototyping of Three Dimensional Printed Nanocomposites

This Navy STTR program would develop methods for the rapid three-dimensional prototyping and manufacturing of nanocomposite materials with multiple controlled constitutive properties. NanoSonic Inc. and the Department of Chemistry at Virginia Tech wouldcooperatively investigate techniques for the ink jet print self-assembly of multilayered nanostructured materials that may be scaled to macrosizes required by weapon system applications. This would build directly on variations of the electrostaticself-assembly (ESA) process, developed and patented by Virginia Tech, and now exclusively licensed by NanoSonic. ESA involves the alternate adsorption of cationic and anionic molecules into multilayered materials. Selection of the molecules and the orderof the monolayers determines macroscopic material properties and structure. Recent developments suggest the ability to pattern material properties within each monolayer by two-dimensional print deposition, and the ability to scale the process to rapidlyform macroscopic materials. During Phase I, NanoSonic and Virginia Tech would 1) demonstrate the feasibility of rapid ink jet print self-assembly to form macroscopic nanostructured materials, 2) determine the limits of the constitutive properties ofmaterials formed using this approach, 3) investigate spatial resolution of properties in two- and three-dimensions, and 4) fabricate and evaluate test articles with input from a major defense contractor. This STTR program would result in products formultiple market segments. Multifunctional macroscopic nanostructured structural composite materials have near-term use in next-generation ship systems, space vehicles, electronic and computer modules, backplanes and chassis, terrestrial military andcommercial transportation vehicles, civil infrastructure systems and biomedical instrumentation. For example, rapidly-prototyped materials having three-dimensionally controlled electrical and thermal conductive have immediate uses in electronic deviceinterconnection and packaging.