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Advanced Aerogel Composites as Insulation Materials

Award Information

Agency:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 		Branch:
N/A 		Award ID:
51933 		Program Year/Program:
2001 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
NASA1860 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Aspen Systems, Inc.
24 St. Martin Dr. Marlborough, MA 01752-3017
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: Yes
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2001
Title: Advanced Aerogel Composites as Insulation Materials
Agency: NASA
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $70,000.00
 

Abstract:

NASA seeks new and innovative technologies for materials, processes, and manufacturing that will provide safe, reliable, lightweight, and less expensive launch vehicle and spacecraft components. This project focuses on improving the strength of the lightest weight material known to man, i.e., aerogels. Improvements in strength would allow these materials to be used on launch vehicles and in spacecraft and result in significant reductions in the weight of cryogenic insulation and high temperature Thermal Protection Systems. Although, no results for continuous fiber-reinforced silica aerogels have been reported in the literature, fiber reinforced materials offer a combination of strength and modulus that are either comparable to or better than either material used separately. The strength to weight ratios and modulus to weight ratios of reinforced aerogels would be markedly superior to those of the current generation of aerogel materials. Therefore, in the proposed effort we will investigate continuous fiber aerogel composites as an approach for improving their mechanical properties. We will also investigate the organic modified silica gels as an approach for improving resilience of aerogels at low temperatures. A low-cost, environmentally benign manufacturing process will also be used.

Principal Investigator:

Wendell E. Rhine
President
5084815058
klee@aspensystems.com

Business Contact:

Kang P. Lee
President
5084815058
klee@aspensystems.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

Aspen Systems, Inc.
184 Cedar Hill Street Marlborough, MA 01752

EIN/Tax ID:
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No