Low Cost Resin Technology for the Rapid Manufacture of High-Performance Fiber Reinforced Composites

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can result in a 6% to 8% fuel-economy improvement. Replacing cast iron and traditional steel components with lightweight polymer composites can directly reduce the weight of a vehicle’s body and chassis by up to 50% and therefore reduce fuel consumption. Lightweighting of vehicle structures clearly represents a significant opportunity for energy savings, however traditional composites manufacturing technologies offer either high volume or significant weight savings, but not both. Sheet molding compound has dominated the automotive composites market since it can achieve high-volume manufacturing however the use of chopped fibers inefficiently capitalizes upon the reinforcement, leading to materials with poor specific properties. With the Vehicle Technologies Office targeting a 25% glider weight reduction at less than $5/lb-saved by 2030, innovative new materials that achieve both rapid cure and significantly improved mechanical properties are required to capitalize on higher cost carbon fiber reinforcement. Recently, high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) has emerged as an alternative approach to manufacture composite materials with continuous fiber reinforcement. In the Phase I, Trimer Technologies demonstrated a low-cost resin that exhibits the strength, stiffness, and toughness of aerospace resins but can achieve full cure in under 60 seconds. The resin also has a glass transition temperature more than twice the value of current state of the art infusion polymers used in the automotive industry and is non-flammable without additives. During the proposed Phase II SBIR, Trimer will collaborate with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) Scale-up Research Facility (SuRF) to demonstrate HP-RTM manufacturing cycle time under 60 seconds. Trimer will perform extensive characterization of the composite properties to enable process optimization and provide the pathway to high volume manufacturing of lightweight composite automotive parts. The proposed materials will enable both high volume manufacturing and significant weight savings in vehicles structures. The automotive composite market was estimated at $15.84 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow to $29 billion in 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%. The DOE projects that the use of lightweight components and high efficiency engines in only one quarter of the U.S. fleet could save more than 5 billion gallons of fuel annually by 2030. This translates to reduction of ~100 billion pounds of CO2 emissions annually and would further contribute to reducing N2O emissions therefore providing significant impact on the public. Lightweighting of vehicle structures represents a significant commercial market and opportunity for energy savings, however traditional composites manufacturing technologies cannot achieve both high volume production and significant weight savings. The automotive industry requires new high strength polymers which can effectively capitalize upon the reinforcement potential of carbon fiber without added cost. Ultimately, Trimer’s novel polymer provides a combination of properties not found in state- of-the-art resins while also providing reduced raw material and manufacturing cost therefore creating significant commercialization potential.