Description: NanoSonic has developed revolutionary multifunctional, super lightweight, self-healing and radiation shielding carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites as a viable lightweight material for space applications such as primary or secondary structures on NASA vehicles, habitat modules, and pressure vessel structures. While current composites are lightweight, they do not offer reliable methods for damage inspection. These advanced materials offer the ability to self-heal upon impact and allow for micro crack damage inspection via DC or RF measurements. During the Phase I program, this phenomenon was demonstrated on multifunctional smart structural composites consisting of: carbon fiber plies, NanoSonic's Thoraeus Rubber™ Kevlar Lightweight Shieling Veils (LSV), and our conductive self-healing microcapsules. The innovative microcapsules are comprised of a corrosion resistant HybridShield polymer shell, a resin-rich core of self-repairing, room temperature curing polymer, and Al nanoparticles to impart EMI and radiation shielding as well as a conductive pathway between the conductive Thoraeus Rubber veils to monitor both damage and repair via RF measurements. NanoSonic is working with Colorado State University, ILC Dover, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company to increase the TRL of this technology from 5-7 during the Phase II program via mechanical, RF, and radiation shielding measurements and space qualification testing.

Benefits: NanoSonic's HybridShield Metal Rubber (HS-MR) materials will be primarily transitioned as smart, lightweight, multifunctional, self-healing composites for spacecraft to further NASA Space Exploration Program. The materials shall be engineered for both primary and secondary structures, including vehicle, habitat module, and pressure vessel structures. The multifunctional MR nano-additive component of the self-healing materials formed via NanoSonic's ESA process offer EMI and radiation shielding for enhanced long-term high altitude and space durability. Such higher specific strength self-healing composites will result in drastic reductions in uptake mass and increased reliability for more cost effective and efficient space exploration. Specifically, the composites shall monitor the extent of damage and repair such destruction throughout the lifecycle from manufacturing, to a tool drop, and in service due to micrometeoroid and orbital debris impacts on orbit. Both coupons and a targeted space demonstrator shall be produced during this program with our space partners.

Non-NASA applications for the self-healing composites include long-term protective storage liners for food or other sensitive materials, self-sealing tires, anti-ballistic fuel tanks and life critical personnel protective equipment (PPE). The EMI and radiation shielding protective constituent offer utility as cost effective protection against electrostatic charging, radiation, and abrasion. Aerospace, biomedical and microelectronic markets would benefit from the EMI SE under repeated and severe reconfigurations. Such EMI shielding skins can be envisioned for use on aircraft, morphing unmanned aerial vehicles, antennas and space structures. Structural, high temperature, composite materials having unique dielectric and multiple controlled electromagnetic properties are possible via NanoSonic's layer-by-layer approach. Spray ESA is envisioned as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly technology to displace sputtering and traditional dense filled composites. Metal Rubber™ fabrics and films can also function as conducting electrodes for high strain mechanical actuator and sensor devices, or as electrically conductive mechanically flexible ground planes or electrical interconnection.