SBIR Phase II: High-Yield Platform Process for Fabrication of Unique Nanofiber Materials

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the need for scalable nanofiber manufacturing through the development and refinement of a production method capable of achieving outputs of utilitarian species of nanofibers in quantities sufficient to serve industrial applications. This project will create new opportunities for nanofiber integration into a wide variety of applications as the technology will enable the cost-efficient production of nanofibers at commercially acceptable rates, and the development of unique nanofiber materials with properties compatible with specific industry uses. This novel system can produce a wide variety of organic, inorganic, and polymer fiber compositions on demand to create a variety of materials for numerous industries, including water filtration, air treatment, thermal insulation, wound dressing, tissue engineering, cell scaffolding, textiles, and battery energy storage. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a platform process to manufacture custom nanofibers using alternating current electrospinning, a scalable and cost-efficient method that supports output efficiencies thousands of times higher than standard direct current electrospinning methods while allowing easier handling of the fibers. The alternative current electrospinning method can be employed to produce unique nanofibers in quantities sufficient to serve industrial applications. Phase II work seeks to further develop and refine the nanofiber production platform focusing on the control and characterization of nanofiber composition and associated material properties which will inform the development and validation of application-specific nanofibers in key market entry points. In Objective 1, an expanded portfolio of alternative current electrospinning-produced nanofibers will be pursued by developing a class of Alumina nanofibers. In Objective 2, process scaleup will be explored to achieve commercially relevant yields. Nanofibers will be tested for tensile strength, elastic modulus, permeability, and flexural modulus. Objective 3 will focus on developing and validating application-tailored nanofibers for delivery of high-performance properties in key market entry points, including water filtration and hyaluronic acid applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.