Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

Phd by thesis

A review of shape memory alloy research, applications and opportunities

Recent advances in shape–memory polymers: Structure, mechanism, functionality, modeling and applications

Advances in soft robotics, materials science, and stretchable electronics have enabled rapid progress in soft grippers. Here, a critical overview of soft robotic grippers is presented, covering different material sets, physical principles, and device architectures. Soft gripping can be categorized into three technologies, enabling grasping by: a) actuation, b) controlled stiffness, and c) controlled adhesion. A comprehensive review of each type is presented. Compared to rigid grippers, end-effectors fabricated from flexible and soft components can often grasp or manipulate a larger variety of objects. Such grippers are an example of morphological computation, where control complexity is greatly reduced by material softness and mechanical compliance. Advanced materials and soft components, in particular silicone elastomers, shape memory materials, and active polymers and gels, are increasingly investigated for the design of lighter, simpler, and more universal grippers, using the inherent functionality of the materials. Embedding stretchable distributed sensors in or on soft grippers greatly enhances the ways in which the grippers interact with objects. Challenges for soft grippers include miniaturization, robustness, speed, integration of sensing, and control. Improved materials, processing methods, and sensing play an important role in future research.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/adma.201707035

Soft Robotic Grippers.

Recent progress in shape memory polymer: New behavior, enabling materials, and mechanistic understanding

Stimulus-responsive shape memory materials: A review

Shaping tissue with shape memory materials

This review paper summarizes the recent research progress in the underlying mechanisms behind the shape memory effect (SME) and some newly discovered shape memory phenomena in polymeric materials. It is revealed that most polymeric materials, if not all, intrinsically have the thermo/chemo-responsive SME. It is demonstrated that a good understanding of the fundamentals behind various types of shape memory phenomena in polymeric materials is not only useful in design/synthesis of new polymeric shape memory materials (SMMs) with tailored performance, but also helpful in optimization of the existing ones, and thus remarkably widens the application field of polymeric SMMs.

/pdf/mechanisms-of-the-shape-memory-effect-in-polymeric-materials-4tt7l0fyk8.pdf

Mechanisms of the Shape Memory Effect in Polymeric Materials

In this article, we present a brief review about polymeric shape memory materials (SMMs) and typical applications of these materials for functioning as actuators. A couple of generic working mechanisms to enable the shape memory effect (SME) in materials are introduced, together with some relatively new shape memory phenomena, such as the multiple-SME, temperature memory effect (TME), mechano-responsive SME, etc. It is revealed that now we are able to not only design/syntheses a polymeric material, but also to tailor its performance to well meet the requirement(s) of a particular application. It is concluded that the shape memory technology (SMT) provides us a powerful tool to produce far greater impact to reshape both product design and fabrication.

Polymeric shape memory materials and actuators

We report two approaches to realize the triple-shape memory effect (SME), i.e., returning to the original shape from the temporary shape through one intermediate shape in a gradual/step-by-step heating induced recovery, in NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs). In the programming process (which is to fix the temporary shape) in both approaches, the deformation is uniform throughout the whole length of the SMA samples without introducing any permanent change in the material properties. The requirements/conditions for this phenomenon and the underlying mechanisms are presented, together with experimental verifications. As revealed, with this technique, we are now able to achieve 'the material is the machine' for well controlled multi-positional maneuvers in SMAs.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0964-1726/21/8/085022/pdf

Cheng Tang

Papers

Stimulus-responsive shape memory materials: A review

Shaping tissue with shape memory materials

Mechanisms of the Shape Memory Effect in Polymeric Materials

Polymeric shape memory materials and actuators

The triple-shape memory effect in NiTi shape memory alloys