TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Engineered Porous Print Materials
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is offering a technology licensing opportunity for Engineered Porous Print Materials. This innovative 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 3D printers. It simplifies the production of advanced porous materials by eliminating the need for secondary coatings or multi-step processes. This is not a call for external services but an invitation for organizations to license the patented technology for commercial innovation.
Technology Overview
The process begins with a specially formulated resin containing a polymer precursor, a porogenic solvent, and a structural precursor. When loaded into a commercial SLA 3D printer, the resin is cured layer by layer, producing a nanoporous polymer gel. Post-printing processing, such as controlled heating or chemical reduction, converts the structural precursor into the desired solid (metal, ceramic, or carbon) while removing the polymer gel. This creates a multi-tier porosity, with demonstrated materials including silver, gold, silica, boron carbide, copper, iron, and cobalt oxide. Pore diameters span from over one millimeter down to below 100 nanometers, with all pore networks remaining interconnected.
Advantages & Applications
Key advantages include:
- Single-resin workflow instead of multiple coating steps.
- Multi-scale porosity within a single printed part.
- Compatibility with various material types and standard stereolithography equipment.
- Internal pores remain connected and accessible.
- Tunable pore size and density through formulation and processing.
Market applications span:
- Catalysis (reactor supports, flow-through catalyst bodies)
- Energy Storage (battery electrodes, capacitor structures)
- Thermal Management (heat exchangers, heat pipe wicks)
- Filtration and Separations (fluid filters, purification media)
- Biomedical (bone scaffolds, culture substrates)
- Lightweight Structures (reinforcement, insulation)
Licensing & Timeline
- Opportunity Type: Special Notice (Technology Licensing)
- Agency: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Department of Energy
- Patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 11,267,920; 12,054,569; pending.
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 4
- Response Due: June 4, 2026
- Published: May 4, 2026
Additional Notes
LANL's licensing program aims to commercialize inventions developed by its researchers through exclusive and non-exclusive agreements. Interested parties should contact licensing@lanl.gov for specific discussions regarding this technology transfer opportunity. This notice is for technology licensing and does not seek proposals for external services or development.