Multi-functional materials and structures II : selected, peer reviewed papers from the 2nd International Conference on Multi-functional Materials and Structures, October 9-12, 2009, Qingdao, Shandong, P.R. China

TLDR: In this paper, the authors present a collection of peer-reviewed papers on multi-functional materials and structures for various engineering applications, and make a valuable contribution to the literature on the subject.

Abstract: With the rapid development of science and technology, the functionalization of structural materials, and the structurization of functional materials are attracting increasing attention in the scientific and engineering fields. The development of multi-functional materials and structures (MFMS), at the micro- and nano-scale levels, has grown rapidly due to the requirement of increasing safety margins for all infrastructure, biomedical and engineering elements. Multi-functional material systems are capable of performing multiple 'primary' functions, simultaneously or sequentially in time, and are specially designed to improve system performance via a reduction in the redundancy between sub-system materials and functions. Materials having special structures can exhibit multi-functional properties. For example, shape-memory alloys can act as actuators as well as sensors, and the aim of composite materials is to exploit each aspect's advantages; plus their synergistic effect. The current collection of peer-reviewed papers focuses on multi-functional materials and structures for various engineering applications, and makes a valuable contribution to the literature on the subject.