Matmerize Secures DOD Award to Develop Low-Flammability Polymer Composite Materials Using Advanced AI Methods

Matmerize, Inc., an industry leader in Polymer & Formulations Informatics proudly announces its selection by the US Department of Defense (DOD) for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract aimed at advancing AI methodologies for accelerating the design of novel low-flammability polymer composite materials. Matmerize is excited about the transformative potential of this project as it will not only enhance fire safety for Navy ships and submarines, but will also find applications in a wide range of industries, including construction, aerospace, automotive and consumer products. This award comes at the heels of another SBIR recently awarded to Matmerize by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop physics-informed and physics-enforced machine learning architectures to advance materials development.

The flammability of polymer composites is quantified by a set of quantitative parameters, typically measured using highly standardized instruments/tests defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and other agencies. Desirable polymeric materials that meet the specific values of ASTM and non-ASTM standardized tests require an optimal combination of base polymers, functional additives, flame retardants, and processing conditions. Matmerize will collaborate with DOD to develop a Polymer Informatics capability using suitable curated data and advanced AI/ML techniques, aimed at the accelerated design of low-flammability polymer matrix composites that meet other critical mechanical and thermal performance targets needed by the Navy.

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Key highlights of the contract include:

(1)  creation of a composite materials database with flammability and other relevant properties such as maximum heat release rate, time to ignition, and smoke density,
(2)   development of AI models trained on the database to predict the relevant properties for new composite formulations, and
(3)  recommend a pool of promising polymer composites, i.e., the combinations of base polymers, functional additives, flame retardants, and processing conditions, for experimentally synthesis and testing.

Huan Tran, Director of Research Innovation for Matmerize stated, “This collaboration signifies a major achievement in the pursuit of safer, lower-flammability polymer composites. We take great pride in spearheading the development of cutting-edge AI-driven solutions for low-flammability composite materials that not only meet rigorous ASTM testing standards but also address the vital safety requirements mandated for our Navy ships.“

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At the heart of Matmerize’s innovation lies PolymRize™, their flagship product – a cloud-based Polymer Informatics software platform meticulously crafted to expedite the advancement of polymers, composites, and formulations. The DOD SBIR aligns perfectly with Matmerize’s core mission to unlock the immense potential of AI in advanced materials engineering to address critical challenges and improve functionality, fire safety and sustainability. Both the DOD and the NSF SBIRs come at an opportune time and will jointly propel and advance the AI-based PolymRize™ technology in a synergistic manner.

Chiho Kim, CTO at Matmerize expressed his enthusiasm by stating “The two concurrent SBIR awards granted by DOD and NSF, represent a resounding endorsement of Matmerize’s pioneering Polymer Informatics platform PolymRize™. These contracts will provide us the resources and support needed to further advance our AI based PolymRize™ platform.”

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