Award Data

Touchstone Research Laboratory proposes to develop fiber reinforced aluminum (FRA) metal matrix composite components to replace those that were originally made from Ti-6-4. It was proven that the FRA is able to outperform titanium at temperatures up to 1000°F. Given the increase in elevated temperature strength, the components may be made with reduced material usage, leading to weight savings. Ph ...

This project, Lithium Battery Deactivation/Render Safe, will develop and demonstrate technology to transform live or damaged batteries into inert items on an mobile-pilot scale suitable to process batteries in a relevant environment.  The project will build upon successful developmental work supported through EERE DE-EE0008475 “Elimination of Class-9 Hazards in Lithium-ion Recycling”, and ...

Touchstone proposes to continue the development of an innovative combination of materials to provide protection from lightning and heat for large missile systems. Touchstone Research Laboratory (Touchstone) has been developing thermal protection system (TPS) concepts around its carbon foam product (CFOAM®) for several years. This material is a lightweight, high-temperature material with a low coe ...

This Phase II Small Business Innovation Research project develops the scale of lithium-ion direct recycling technologies applied to gain efficiencies in materials management from original manufacturing to end-of-life. The scrap materials are from Defense Logistics Agency manufacturing activities. A successful effort moves direct recycle TRL from 4 to 6, increases process throughput, qualifies mate ...

The feasibility of using a low-cost, coal-based carbon foam (CFOAM) for providing lightning and thermal protection for ground-based missile systems was demonstrated during Phase I.Touchstone proposes to build on the Phase I efforts and take the development of this system to the next stage.During Phase I, a concept was developed that will provide sufficient thermal protection to the underlying mate ...

This ARPA-E SBIR project is to research, design, construct and field trial a cost-effective and efficient 25kW 200kWh energy storage system based on the all-Iron Hybrid Flow Battery (IFB) technology. Energy Storage Systems Inc. (ESS) develops and commercializes grid-scale energy storage systems based on flow battery technologies. Applying its proprietary flow cell design, ESS has demonstrated a 4- ...

This ARPA-e SBIR project is to research, design, construct and field trial a cost-effective and efficient 25kW 200kWh energy storage system based on the all-Iron Hybrid Flow Battery (IFB) technology. Energy Storage Systems Inc. (ESS) develops and commercializes grid-scale energy storage systems based on flow battery technologies. Applying its proprietary flow cell design, ESS demonstrated a 4-fo ...

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has identified a need to reduce weight and improve manufacturability to insure cost effectiveness for structural components of its missile interceptors. Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd. (Touchstone) and San Diego Composites (SDC) have teamed to combine their respective tooling and composite materials technologies to achieve this goal. Touchstone has developed a ...

A 128 x 128-format avalanche photodiode (APD) focal plane array (FPA), including a low-power dual-mode readout integrated circuit (ROIC) and low excess noise, high gain (M>1,200) will be developed for laser radar (LADAR) applications requiring reduced SWAP. The FPA gives LADAR seekers an advanced active tracking sensor capability, providing a sufficiently wide field of regard (FOR) to eliminate th ...

To provide the Airborne Laser (ABL) precision ranging and 3-D track refinement capability for the next generation active ranging system (NGARS), Voxtel will develop an avalanche photodiode (APD) receiver. Unlike the original ARS, which uses a 10.6 µm CO2 laser, Voxtel’s InGaAs-based ARS receiver is designed for high-speed photon counting between 1.0 – 1.6 µm. Operation in the short-wave infr ...