SBIR Phase II: Smart Two-Way Shape Memory Polymer Based Sealant

SBIR 第二阶段：智能双向形状记忆聚合物密封剂

• 批准号: 1758674
• 负责人: Jizhou Fan
• 金额: $ 74.63万
• 依托单位: Louisiana Multi-Functional-Materials Group LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-02-15 至 2021-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1758674&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Smart; Two

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project aims to provide an affordable sealant for sealing joints and cracks in cement concrete pavement, asphalt concrete pavement, bridge deck, etc. In transportation infrastructure, joints are intentionally constructed in order to allow movement of the structural elements due to linear thermal expansion/contraction when temperature rises/drops. Cracks are a common failure mode in pavement, and if not properly sealed, can cause water damage and rupture of the concrete. Sealing cracks and joints is a common practice to maintain or extend the service life of structural elements. Various types of sealants are currently used with an annual market value of about $6.1 billion. Unfortunately, many of these sealants fail to work properly and are ineffective in extending service life. In this project, a smart sealant will be developed that expands upon cooling and contracts upon heating, a thermal characteristic opposite to that of concrete. The product will address a significant problem in the industry arising from thermal movement of joined/cracked structural elements. It is expected that the product will have about 0.8% market share in 5 years helping with the need for longer lasting and more reliable infrastructure.The intellectual merit of this project lies in the development and validation of a smart sealant technology. The root cause for joint failure is that the thermal expansion characteristics of most sealants is similar to that of concrete, i.e., contraction upon cooling and expansion upon heating. This behavior is contrary to what is required of sealants in order to avoid thermally induced separation between the sealant and the concrete. Unfortunately, few materials can fulfill this requirement in a cost effective way while maintaining other desired physical properties (such as, deformability). This Phase II project will solve the century-long problem through the use of a two-way shape memory polymer (2W-SMP) based sealant that addresses the root cause. Building upon the feasibility study of the Phase I project, the Phase II project will focus on further improving the 2W-SMP based sealant for sealing joints or cracks in pavement, and validate the product through third-party lab-scale testing, and full-scale field-level verification in both hot and humid environment and extremely cold regions. Technical outcome will include lab-scale validation, field level performance and verification, and construction protocols for this new smart material, laying a solid foundation for adoption by home owners and transportation agencies.

该小型企业创新研究第二期项目旨在提供一种经济实惠的密封剂，用于密封水泥混凝土路面、沥青混凝土路面、桥面等的接缝和裂缝。在交通基础设施中，有意建造接缝是为了允许结构元件移动由于温度升高/降低时的线性热膨胀/收缩。裂缝是路面常见的破坏模式，如果密封不当，可能会导致水损坏和混凝土破裂。密封裂缝和接缝是维持或延长结构元件使用寿命的常见做法。目前使用的各类密封剂年市场价值约为61亿美元。不幸的是，许多密封剂无法正常工作并且无法有效延长使用寿命。在该项目中，将开发一种智能密封剂，该密封剂在冷却时膨胀，在加热时收缩，其热特性与混凝土相反。该产品将解决行业中因连接/破裂的结构元件的热运动而产生的重大问题。预计该产品将在 5 年内占据约 0.8% 的市场份额，有助于满足对更持久、更可靠的基础设施的需求。该项目的智力优势在于智能密封剂技术的开发和验证。接缝失效的根本原因是大多数密封胶的热膨胀特性与混凝土相似，即冷却时收缩，加热时膨胀。这种行为与密封剂的要求相反，以避免密封剂和混凝土之间因热引起分离。不幸的是，很少有材料能够以成本有效的方式满足这一要求，同时保持其他所需的物理性能（例如可变形性）。该二期项目将通过使用基于双向形状记忆聚合物 (2W-SMP) 的密封剂从根本上解决这个长达一个世纪的问题。在一期项目可行性研究的基础上，二期项目将重点进一步改进用于密封路面接缝或裂缝的2W-SMP基密封剂，并通过第三方实验室规模测试和全面验证产品。在湿热环境和极寒地区进行了规模化现场验证。技术成果将包括实验室规模的验证、现场级性能和验证以及这种新型智能材料的施工协议，为房主和运输机构的采用奠定坚实的基础。