TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 3D Printing Fiber Reinforced Composites with Mixed Short, Continuous, and Compositionally-Graded Regions

Opportunity:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop its additive manufacturing method to fabricate fiber-reinforced composites with mixed short, continuous, and compositionally-graded regions.

Background:

Fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) are man-made materials that consist of a complicated combination of fiber and resin. The reinforcing fiber increases the matrix’s strength and improves the composites’ quality while reducing their weight.  This has been demonstrated by the additive manufacturing process of direct ink write (DIW).  However, a means of accomplishing integrated, multi-materials prints has not been developed.  LLNL researchers have been able to combine multiple processes and materials chemistries to enable hybrid, fiber-reinforced additively manufactured materials to be printed, which are composed of chemically contiguous short fiber regions, continuous filament regions, and architected microstructures.

Description:

LLNL’s method of 3D printing fiber-reinforced composites has two enabling features:

1. Ability to deposit a range of materials with different compositions with a common cure chemistry/process on a common motion stage.
2. Ability to transition from one class of material (e.g., rigid thermoset) to elastomer without bond line or abrupt transitions by means of compositional blending of resins with common chemical functionalities.

Various processes are described using a common motion control stage (3 or more axes), 2 or more parallel print heads, coaxial print heads, or a multi-input valved head arrangement that can deliver two or more distinct feedstocks to a build within a single, sequential, or parallel process.

Advantages/Benefits: 

• Improved performance with lower manufacturing costs
• Produces hierarchical, multi-responsive, and multi-functional materials in a single stage process

Potential Applications: 

• Structural composites
• Aerospace and defense applications
• Thermal protection systems

Development Status: 

Current stage of technology development:  TRL 3 (analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept)

LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention and has a comprehensive portfolio of 3D printing FRCs. 

• U.S. Patent No. 9,862,140 Additive Manufacturing of Short and Mixed Fibre-Reinforced Polymer published 1/9/2018
• U.S. Patent No. 9,944,016 High Performance, Rapid Thermal/UV Curing Epoxy Resin for Additive Manufacturing of Short and Continuous Carbon Fiber Epoxy Composites issued 4/17/2018
• U.S. Patent No. 10,994,472 High Performance, Rapid Thermal/UV Curing Epoxy Resin for Additive Manufacturing of Short and Continuous Carbon Fiber Epoxy Composites issued 5/4/2021
• U.S. Patent Application No. 2017/0015060 Additive Manufacturing Continuous Filament Carbon Fiber Epoxy Composites published 1/19/2017
• U.S. Patent No. 11,084,223 Optimal Toolpath Generation System and Method for Additively Manufactured Composite Materials issued 8/10/2021

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.  

Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note:  THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT.  Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's method of 3D printing fiber-reinforced composites should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1.         Company Name and address.

2.         The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.

3.         A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Please provide your electronic OR written statement by 5/24/2023. (within 30 days from the date this announcement is published) to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's method of 3D printing fiber-reinforced composites.

The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.

Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Innovation and Partnerships Office

P.O. Box 808, L-779

Livermore, CA  94551-0808

Attention:   IL-13803