Description: Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) proposes to design and develop thermally-reversible polymeric materials that will function as reprocessable thermosetting matrixes. These material systems will enable reclamation and repurposing of structural fiber-reinforced composites into new configurations during extraterrestrial missions, such as conversion to Additive Manufacturing (AM) feedstocks or direct fabrication into multipart constructs. The thermally-reversible polymer thermosets also present the opportunity to generate volumes of AM feedstock through function as an optimized binder matrix, allowing compounding and impregnation/infusion of in-situ resources such as environmentally sourced metallic, mineralogical (i.e. regolith), and desized/milled non-reprocessable composites. This material approach will provide NASA with a means to generate AM feedstock and support in-situ resource utilization with a reduced reliance on pristine raw material payloads. CRG has already demonstrated the efficacy of thermally-reversible polymer structures in commercial adhesive applications, as well as in a previous NASA technical effort for modifying waste packaging plastics to provide improved compatibility to AM processing (specifically FDM). The proposed concept not only has the potential to enable resource reclamation and AM capability, but also to advance the state-of-the-art in AM materials technology. CRG's proposed approach to develop thermally-reversible polymer materials for thermoset polymer reprocessing, and demonstration of reclamation and AM compatibility evaluation, will provide NASA with a material and processing technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 at the conclusion of the Phase I effort.

Benefits: Supporting NASA's Human Exploration Destination Systems Technology Area and LaRC, this project's technologies directly address requirements for reducing launch mass by reclaiming launched structural components into AM printing feedstock and providing polymeric technology for utilizing in-situ resources as composite AM raw materials. This project's technologies offer the ability to manufacture components and structures on-site as needed using structural composites that are no longer needed and yielding effective binder matrixes for large volumes of environmental sourced particulate materials. This reduces overall launch cost, and provides deep space exploration the ability to fabricate components as needed.

Government systems would derive benefits from this technology, including rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing of complex, low-run number, and advanced design parts for systems operated by the Department of Defense. Prime defense contractors could find use of an enabling technology allowing 3-D printing of new and exotic polymeric materials or polymeric composites previously thought incompatible to additive manufacturing processes. Human systems focused solutions would have the ability to additively manufacture custom components for personnel equipment, such as softer elastomeric materials for integral user-custom equipment. This technology's attributes for improving the compatibility of polymers to AM systems would yield a high potential for private sector commercialization for AM and 3D printer manufactures, significantly increasing the materials properties available in the feedstock. Such companies could dramatically expand the thermoplastic raw materials available to consumers, create new product lines based on thermosetting material designs, and potentially be able to produce materials with custom thermal-mechanical performance on-demand. The technology would enable businesses to additively manufacture components and systems previously impossible due to material limitations.