SMART MATERIALS

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W Sclence and Lechnology have made amazlng developmenLs ln Lhe
deslgn of elecLronlcs and machlnery uslng sLandard maLerlals
whlch do noL have parLlcularly speclal properLles (le sLeel
alumlnum gold)
W lmaglne Lhe range of posslblllLles whlch exlsL for speclal maLerlals
LhaL have properLles sclenLlsLs can manlpulaLe Some such maLerlals
have Lhe ablllLy Lo change shape or slze slmply by addlng a llLLle blL
of heaL or Lo change from a llquld Lo a solld almosL lnsLanLly when
near a magneL
W 1hese maLerlals are called smarL maLerlals
W SmarL maLerlals have one or more properLles
LhaL can be dramaLlcally alLered
W MosL everyday maLerlals have physlcal
properLles whlch cannoL be slgnlflcanLly
alLered for example lf oll ls heaLed lL wlll
become a llLLle Lhlnner whereas a smarL
maLerlal wlLh varlable vlscoslLy may Lurn from
a fluld whlch flows easlly Lo a solld
W A varleLy of smarL maLerlals already exlsL and are
belng researched exLenslvely
W 1hese lnclude plezoelecLrlc maLerlals magneLo
rheosLaLlc maLerlals elecLrorheosLaLlc maLerlals
and shape memory alloys
W Some everyday lLems are already lncorporaLlng
smarL maLerlals (coffeepoLs cars Lhe
lnLernaLlonal Space SLaLlon eyeglasses) and Lhe
number of appllcaLlons for Lhem ls growlng
sLeadlly
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SMA81 MA1L8lALS
W 1here are a number of Lypes of smarL maLerlal some of whlch
are already common Some examples are as followlng
W lezoelecLrlc maLerlals are maLerlals LhaL produce a volLage
when sLress ls applled Slnce Lhls effecL also applles ln Lhe
reverse manner a volLage across Lhe sample wlll produce
sLress wlLhln Lhe sample
W Shape memory alloys and shape memory polymers are
maLerlals ln whlch large deformaLlon can be lnduced and
recovered Lhrough LemperaLure changes or sLress changes
(pseudoelasLlclLy) 1he large deformaLlon resulLs due Lo
marLenslLlc phase change
W MagneLosLrlcLlve maLerlals exhlblL change ln shape under Lhe
lnfluence of magneLlc fleld and also exhlblL change ln Lhelr
magneLlzaLlon under Lhe lnfluence of mechanlcal sLress
W MagneLlc shape memory alloys are maLerlals LhaL change
Lhelr shape ln response Lo a slgnlflcanL change ln Lhe
magneLlc fleld
W pPsenslLlve polymers are maLerlals whlch swell/collapse
when Lhe pP of Lhe surroundlng medla changes
W 1emperaLureresponslve polymers are maLerlals whlch
undergo changes upon LemperaLure
W Palochromlc maLerlals are commonly used maLerlals LhaL
change Lhelr colour as a resulL of changlng acldlLy Cne
suggesLed appllcaLlon ls for palnLs LhaL can change colour
Lo lndlcaLe corroslon ln Lhe meLal underneaLh Lhem
W Chromogenlc sysLems change colour ln response Lo
elecLrlcal opLlcal or Lhermal changes 1hese
lnclude elecLrochromlc maLerlals whlch change Lhelr
colour or opaclLy on Lhe appllcaLlon of a volLage (eg llquld
crysLal dlsplays
W hoLomechanlcal maLerlals change shape
under exposure Lo llghL
W Selfheallng maLerlals have Lhe lnLrlnslc ablllLy
Lo repalr damage due Lo normal usage Lhus
expandlng Lhe maLerlals llfeLlme
W ulelecLrlc elasLomers (uLs) are smarL maLerlal
sysLems whlch produce large sLralns (up Lo
300) under Lhe lnfluence of an exLernal
elecLrlc fleld
|ezoe|ectr|c Mater|a|s
W lezoelecLrlc maLerlals have Lwo unlque properLles whlch
are lnLerrelaLed Jhen a plezoelecLrlc maLerlal ls deformed
lL glves off a small buL measurable elecLrlcal dlscharge
AlLernaLely when an elecLrlcal currenL ls passed Lhrough a
plezoelecLrlc maLerlal lL experlences a slgnlflcanL lncrease
ln slze (up Lo a 4 change ln volume)
lezoelecLrlc maLerlals are mosL wldely used as sensors ln
dlfferenL envlronmenLs 1hey are ofLen used Lo measure
fluld composlLlons fluld denslLy fluld vlscoslLy or Lhe force
of an lmpacL An example of a plezoelecLrlc maLerlal ln
everyday llfe ls Lhe alrbag sensor ln your car 1he maLerlal
senses Lhe force of an lmpacL on Lhe car and sends and
elecLrlc charge deploylng Lhe alrbag
|ectrorheostat|c and Magneto
rheostat|c
W LlecLrorheosLaLlc (L8) and magneLorheosLaLlc (M8) maLerlals are flulds
whlch can experlence a dramaLlc change ln Lhelr vlscoslLy 1hese flulds can
change from a Lhlck fluld (slmllar Lo moLor oll) Lo nearly a solld subsLance
wlLhln Lhe span of a mllllsecond when exposed Lo a magneLlc or elecLrlc
fleld Lhe effecL can be compleLely reversed [usL as qulckly when Lhe fleld
ls removed M8 flulds experlence a vlscoslLy change when exposed Lo a
magneLlc fleld whlle L8 flulds experlence slmllar changes ln an elecLrlc
fleld 1he composlLlon of each Lype of smarL fluld varles wldely 1he mosL
common form of M8 fluld conslsLs of Llny lron parLlcles suspended ln oll
whlle L8 flulds can be as slmple as mllk chocolaLe or cornsLarch and oll
M8 flulds are belng developed for use ln car shocks damplng washlng
machlne vlbraLlon prosLheLlc llmbs exerclse equlpmenL and surface
pollshlng of machlne parLs L8 flulds have malnly been developed for use
ln cluLches and valves as well as englne mounLs deslgned Lo reduce nolse
and vlbraLlon ln vehlcles
1he M8 fluld ls llquld as shown on Lhe lefL when no
mageneLlc fleld ls presenL buL Lurns solld
lmmedlaLely afLer belng placed ln a magneLlc fleld
on Lhe rlghL
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