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Spinoff story

Polyimide Boosts High-Temperature Performance

A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.

About this technology

Overview

Maverick Corporation, of Blue Ash, Ohio, licensed DMBZ-15 polyimide technology from Glenn Research Center. This ultrahigh-temperature material provides substantial weight savings and reduced machining costs compared to the same component made with more traditional metallic materials. DMBZ-15 has a wide range of applications from aerospace (aircraft engine and airframe components, space transportation systems, and missiles) to non-aerospace (oil drilling, rolling mill), and is particularly well-suited to use as face sheets with honeycombs or thermal protection systems for reusable launch vehicles, which encounter elevated temperatures during launch and re-entry.