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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 Department of Energy, through its contractor Triad at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), is offering a technology licensing opportunity for Engineered Porous Print Materials under solicitation number S-133569. This technology enables the production of complex, high-surface-area structures with precisely engineered porosity at macro, micro, and nano scales using a single printable composition and standard stereolithography equipment. The process utilizes a specially formulated resin containing a polymer precursor, a porogenic solvent, and a structural precursor—such as metal salts or ceramic precursors—to create multi-material foam structures with tunable chemistry. By eliminating secondary coatings or multi-step mold processes, the platform simplifies the fabrication of functional materials including silver, gold, silica, boron carbide, copper, iron, and cobalt oxide.
The licensing opportunity 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. The technology, currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4, is supported by U.S. Patent Nos. 11,267,920 and 12,054,569, along with pending application LA-UR-26-23577. Potential market applications include catalytic reactors, energy storage components, thermal management devices, filtration systems, and biomedical scaffolds. The workflow allows for isotropic shrinkage during processing, which can reduce feature sizes below a printer's native resolution while ensuring all pore networks remain interconnected and accessible.
Interested organizations may pursue exclusive or non-exclusive licensing agreements to transition these LANL inventions into commercial innovations. The response deadline for this special notice is June 4, 2026. The primary point of contact is Satya Srinivasan, and the designated place of performance is Los Alamos, New Mexico. There are currently zero attachments associated with this notice, and there is no set-aside (NONE) assigned to this requirement.
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