SBIR Phase I: Flexible high-temperature foam insulation materials mass produced using low-cost extrusion processing

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to advance the development of a fully flexible high-temperature (operating in the 200-400°C range) insulation product for industrial applications (e.g. pipes and other process systems). The proposed technology offers performance improvements compared to current solutions, such as fiberglass and mineral wool, while reducing costs through lower-cost manufacturing and easier installation. High-temperature industrial insulation can achieve significantly greater energy savings versus building insulation, leading to project paybacks as low as 1-2 years. This will reduce costs and energy loads in energy-intensive industries such as food, paper, chemicals, refining and metals. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will utilize nanomaterials to produce a novel composite insulation material that is flexible and delivers high performance above 200°C. The inorganic materials will raise temperature durability while high-temperature specialty polymers will enable flexibility. The materials will be processed using high-volume chemical foaming processes (such as extrusion) scalable into mass production using off-the-shelf equipment, addressing cost and throughput issues. This work addresses a longstanding industry challenge to mass-produce a fully flexible high-temperature insulation material easily installable by a single individual using standard tools and supplies. A key activity is to reduce pore sizes below the mean free path of air (~100 nm). This minimizes all three forms of heat transfer - conduction, convection and radiation, the last of which becomes more prominent at high temperatures. 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.