Testing and Characterization of Smart Materials

Science and technology have made amazing developments in the area of space, defense,
automobile, electronics, etc using standard materials, which do not have particularly special
properties (i.e. steel, aluminum, gold). Imagine the range of possibilities, which exist for special
materials that have properties that scientists can manipulate. Some of these materials have the
ability to change shape or size simply by adding a little bit of heat, or force in terms of
mechanical/electrical/magnetic or to change from a liquid to a solid almost instantly y under an
application of magnetic/electrical field; such type of materials are known as smart materials.
Smart materials are designed materials that have one or more properties that can be significantly
changed in a controlled fashion by external stimuli, such as stress, temperature,
moisture, pH, electric or magnetic fields.
Other keywords related to smart material are such as shape memory material (SMM) and shape
memory technology (SMT)
Smart materials have properties that react to changes in their environment. This means that one
of their properties can be changed by an external condition, such as temperature, light, pressure
or electricity. This change is reversible and can be repeated many times. There are a wide range
of different smart materials. Each offer different properties that can be changed. Some materials
are very good indeed and cover a huge range of the scales.
Embedding these smart materials in system sensor making an alloy/blend/nanocomposite using
high performance thermoplastic polymeric matrix and smart materials requires specialized
facilities.
Thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, ceramic molding materials, fillers, pigments, plastic and
many other materials. The measuring mixers consist of a mixer back stand with gear unit and a
detachable mixer bowl. In addition to the electronic safety systems, they are connected to the
drive unit through a shear pin coupling protecting both mixer and drive unit from damage due to
overload. The blades are made of special steel. Counter-rotation towards each other at different
speeds provides excellent compounding and mixing characteristics. Heating/cooling is done
electrically with o air cooling up to a temperature of 500 C. The following tests can be done
using the instrument: Change of rheological properties during the preparation of smart
nanocomposites; fusion behavior of materials; heat and shear stability of materials; flow and cure
behavior of thermosetting materials; (5) filler, plasticizer, oil absorption of matrix; degree of
property breakdown, etc. over a range of temperature and shear rate.
The application range of these smart materials varies from medical instrumentation, optics,
computers, ultrasonic, artificial muscles, microsurgery, etc. Because of the variety of
applications and the environments that these materials are used, studying their properties is
critical. Characterization of the structure property is crucial for several reasons. First,
investigations of the material properties provide a link between the manufacturing process and
the material's performance to yield tailorability to a particular application. Second, the
engineer/scientist can investigate prospective materials for applicability to a specific need.
Material parameters obtained through characterization can be used to develop and validate
analytical models. Insights gained through characterization have led to many new devices and
uses.
If one wants to study the mechanical performance of such materials at sub ambient temperatures
or at high temperatures, Environmental Zwick Universal testing machine, it offers an advanced
technique for characterization of newly developed materials, which could not be substituted by
any other means of materials studies. Information of materials properties provided by this
method is of paramount significance for a development of advanced materials. The following
analysis and measurements would be possible from this facility over a range of temperature (-
100 to o 300 C) and strain rates under compression and tensile modes: poisons ratio; tensile
modulus; compression modulus; flexure modulus; tensile-creep modulus; flexure-creep modulus;
relaxed modulus; flexure strength; flexure deformation at break; yield extension; upper yield
value; lower yield value; strain at X% elongation; elongation at break; elongation at tensile
strength; nominal elongation; hysteresis loss; R value, N value; Mullins effect; Etc.