Smart material

About: Smart material is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3704 publications have been published within this topic receiving 74280 citations. The topic is also known as: intelligent material & responsive material.

Photoresponsive metal–organic materials: exploiting the azobenzene switch

Abstract: Photoinduced cis–trans isomerisation of azobenzene has been an inspiration to chemists to design smart materials that respond to light. Lately, this chemistry has also made a mark in the emerging area of metal–organic materials. If one can regulate the properties of porous hybrid materials with light, their scope of applications can be expanded. The field is shown to be promising and gradually progressing from nano to mesospace. However, one needs more in-depth research to deliver materials that are truly smart and practically viable.

Electromechanical properties of smart materials

Abstract: A smart material is one that can perform both sensor and actuator functions. This definition allows for some flexibility in deciding how to qualify a material as "smart", since the fun damental mechanisms of operation may differ greatly between types of smart materials. From the point of view of an electroceramist, piezoelectric materials, which show reversible electromechan ical coupling, may be thought of as "naturally" smart materials since the same piezoelectric material may act as a sensor and/or an actuator. Piezoelectric single crystals, polymers, and poled poly crystalline ceramics all show good electromechanical coupling. In addition, they may be combined in a composite material that exaggerates their beneficial properties by eliminating their detrimental properties. Some common piezoelectric materials are reviewed, along with some examples of smart materials that incorporate piezoelectric ceramics.

Dynamic testing of inflatable structures using smart materials

Abstract: In this paper we present experimental investigations of the vibration testing of an inflated, thin-film torus using smart materials. Lightweight, inflatable structures are very attractive in satellite applications. However, the lightweight, flexible and highly damped nature of inflated structures poses difficulties in ground vibration testing. In this study, we show that polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) patches and recently developed macro-fiber composite actuators may be used as sensors and actuators in identifying modal parameters. Both smart materials can be integrated unobtrusively into the skin of a torus or space device forming an attractive testing arrangement. The addition of actuators and PVDF sensors to the torus does not significantly interfere with the suspension modes of a free–free boundary condition, and can be considered an integral part of the inflated structure. The results indicate the potential of using smart materials to measure and control the dynamic response of inflated structures.