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Glenn
Research Center
1986 Phase II
Lightweight
Structural Foams from Ceramic Materials
Ultramet
Pacoima, CA
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INNOVATION
Very lightweight
ceramic foams as substrates for reflectors used in space-based solar
power systems
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Lightweight Mirror Structure with
Aluminum-coated Quartz Faceplate
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Developed technology to produce
lightweight open-cell structural foams from ceramic materials such
as boron carbide, silicon carbide, and hafnium carbide
- Produced lightweight, high-quality reflectors using silicon carbide-hafnium carbide foam substrates with aluminum-coated quartz mirror faceplates
- Ultimately spun off foam technology
into medical field, as Hedrocel™ synthetic bone material
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COMMERCIALIZATION
- Licensed medical foam technology to Implex (Allendale, NJ), a manufacturer of musculoskeletal implants. Implex was later acquired by Zimmer, Inc. Annual sales of the technology are nearing $100 million
- Formed joint venture, Cytomatrix (Cambridge, MA), to develop biological cell growth medium using foam technology. Cytomatrix has since merged and formed Cygenics, a publicly traded company (ASX)
- To date, over 100 jobs have been created at Ultramet and associate companies
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GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE
APPLICATIONS
- Primary NASA application is solar concentrators for advanced solar dynamic power systems
- Currently developing ceramic and metal foam heat exchangers for both space and ground based applications
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| For more
information about this firm, please send e-mail to company
representative
Return to
NASA SBIR Success Listings
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Materials; Space Systems
Curator: SBIR
Support 11/27/06 |
