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TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Engineered Porous Print Materials
Contact and place of performance
Satya Srinivasan
Los Alamos, NM 87545
USA
Engineered Porous Print Materials enables manufacturers to produce complex, high-surface-area structures with precisely engineered porosity at macro, micro and nano scales — all from a single printable composition and a standard stereolithography printer. By eliminating the need for secondary coatings, multi-step mold processes or specialized equipment, this technology developed by Los Alamos National Laborator...
View moreTechnical Description
The printable composition is engineered so that the polymer precursor component (typically an acrylate monomer such as polyethylene glycol diacrylate) undergoes photopolymerization in the presence of a porogenic solvent (such as dimethylformamide or water) that is deliberately chosen for its low compatibility with the resulting polymer network. During curing, the polymer phase-separates from the solvent, creating a sponge-like gel with pore sizes and volumes that can be tuned by adjusting the solvent-to-monomer ratio, solvent chemistry and the inclusion of structure-directing additives. A photoinitiator and a polymerization quenching compound (an absorber dye) are included to control layer thickness and prevent unwanted curing beyond the intended print pattern. The structural precursor — which can be a dissolved metal salt, a pre-ceramic alkoxide, a carbonaceous precursor or a pre-metal oxide — is homogeneously incorporated within the gel phase during printing, enabling an “inside-out” assembly of the final material, or could be absorbed through wicking into the porous, spongelike material before post processing.
After printing, downstream thermal and chemical treatments convert the structural precursor into the target material and remove the polymer template. For metal-based products, heating reduces metal ions to colloidal particles within the gel; further sintering fuses those particles into a continuous metallic skeleton while the polymer decomposes, leaving behind a free-standing porous metal replica of the original printed geometry. Isotropic shrinkage during polymer removal can reduce feature sizes well below the printer's native resolution, enabling structural details that conventional SLA cannot achieve on its own. Demonstrated material systems include silver, gold (with trimodal porosity achieved through silver-gold de-alloying), silica, boron carbide, copper, iron and cobalt oxide. Pore diameters span from greater than one millimeter at the macro scale down to below 100 nanometers at the nano scale, and all pore networks remain interconnected and accessible throughout the bulk of the part.
Advantages
Market Applications
U.S. Patent Nos. 11,267,920; 12,054,569; pending
LA-UR-26-23577
TRL 4
LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.
LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact [email protected].
Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.
https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology
m.lanl.gov/tech-search
The Los Alamos National Laboratory, managed by Triad - DOE Contractor for the Department of Energy, is offering a technology licensing opportunity for Engineered Porous Print Materials. This special notice, identified by solicitation number S-133569, pertains to a manufacturing platform that enables the production of complex, high-surface-area structures with precisely engineered porosity at macro, micro, and nano scales using standard stereolithography equipment. The technology utilizes a single printable resin composition containing a polymer precursor, a porogenic solvent, and a structural precursor such as metal salts or ceramic precursors. This process eliminates the need for secondary coatings or multi-step mold processes by translating digital designs into functional, multi-material foam structures with tunable chemistry and architecture.
The technical scope covers a workflow where resin is cured layer by layer to produce an intermediate nanoporous polymer gel, followed by thermal or chemical treatments that convert the precursors into solid metal, ceramic, or carbon while removing the polymer template. This method supports the creation of interconnected pore networks for applications in catalytic reactors, energy storage, thermal management, filtration systems, and biomedical scaffolds. Demonstrated material systems include silver, gold, silica, boron carbide, copper, iron, and cobalt oxide. The technology is currently at Technology Readiness Level 4 and is protected under U.S. Patent Nos. 11,267,920 and 12,054,569, along with pending applications.
Responses for this opportunity are accepted through June 4, 2026. The procurement is classified under NAICS 333248, All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing, and PSC AC34, National Defense R&D Services; Defense-Related Activities; R&D Administrative Expenses. No set-aside restrictions are applied to this notice. The primary point of contact for licensing inquiries is Satya Srinivasan, and the place of performance is Los Alamos, New Mexico. Organizations may pursue either exclusive or non-exclusive licensing agreements to transition these laboratory-developed inventions into commercial innovations.
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