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TPE Honeycomb Materials System for ACH Helmet Pads

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: W91CRB-10-C-0032
Agency Tracking Number: A092-117-0891
Amount: $69,970.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A09-117
Solicitation Number: 2009.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2009
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2010-01-07
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2010-07-10
Small Business Information
15 Acorn Park
Cambridge, MA 02140
United States
DUNS: 111046152
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Richard Stringfellow
 Principal
 (617) 498-5936
 Stringfellow.R@TIAXLLC.com
Business Contact
 Ren,e Wong
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: (617) 498-5655
Email: wong.renee@tiaxllc.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

TIAX proposes the development of a helmet pad system based on the use of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) honeycomb structures optimized through materials characterization, simulations of system behavior, and dynamic testing. A shortcoming of existing helmet pads is that they are composed of open cell foam, a material with the same mechanical response in all loading directions. However, when used as helmet pads, the material will be primarily subjected to transverse compression. This knowledge can be leveraged to further improve the pad design, tailoring the anisotropy of the material system to optimize the response of the pads in transverse compression. TIAX believes that honeycomb structures composed of thermoplastic elastomers represent the ideal system for helmet pads/liners for the following reasons: (1) the honeycomb structure has optimal material utilization for transverse compression with a high performance-to-weight ratio; (2) thermoplastic elastomers can be selected for optimal dissipation characteristics in the desired range of strain rates and temperatures; (3) the material deformation is highly recoverable and the system is ideally suited for multiple (repeated) impact performance; (4) required manufacturing processes are inexpensive and well established. We are confident that the proposed approach will allow us to develop a protection system with optimal performance.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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