Al-Khawarizmi College of Engineering

Mechatronics Department

(2)
Smart Materials, an Introduction
---- MCT516 ----
MSc. Course – Smart Materials and Applications
First Semester
2021 - 2022
Asst. Prof. Dr. Furat Ibrahim Hussein Al-Najjar
Definition
҉ The term ”smart materials” sometimes also called intelligent materials, responsive
materials or active materials describes a group of material systems with unique
properties having advanced properties compare to common materials.
҉ According to US Army Research Office, smart materials defined as:
“A system or material which has built in intrinsic sensors, actuators, and control
mechanism whereby it is capable of sensing a stimulus, responding to it in a
predetermined manner and extent for an appropriate time and reverting to its original state
as soon as the stimulus is removed”.
҉ Smartness, in general, maybe achieved and programmed by: material composition,
special processing, modifying the microstructure, and/or introduction of defects to adapt to
the various levels of stimuli in a controlled fashion.
stress,
҉ Smart materials are reactive designed temperature, shape,
materials that have one or more chemical, The associated changeable size,
properties that can be significantly moisture, physical properties could stiffness,
changed in a controlled fashion by electric, or be: viscosity,
external stimuli. magnetic fields etc. damping etc.
Classes and Categories
҉ The components of the smart materials revolution have been finding their way out of the
labs and into industrial applications for the past decade. As yet, they fall into several classes
and categories:
- Piezoelectric materials
- Shape memory alloys
- Magnetic shape memory alloys
- Magnetorheological
- Fiber Optics
- PH sensitive polymers (Halochromic materials)
- Thermochromic materials
- Electrochromic
- Smart Grease.
Active and Passive Smart Materials

1) Active Smart Materials:- Can be used as energy transducers. They possess the
capability of modifying their geometry and properties under the application of a stimulus
such as electric, thermal or magnetic fields, thereby acquiring an inherent capacity to
transduce energy.
Examples : Piezo-electric materials, Magnetorstictive materials, SMAs, ER fluids etc.

2) Passive Smart Materials:- Lack the

inherent capability to transduce
energy.
Example : Fiberoptic cable: They are excellent sensors
employ intensity, phase, frequency or polarization
modulation to measure strain, temperature,
electrical/magnetic fields, pressure and other measurable
quantities.
Active Smart Materials Types
҉ Active smart materials are characterized by the existence of coupling between two or
more physical domains (mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical, optical), in such a
way that modifications of the state variables related to a given domain lead to changes
of the state variables related to another domain.
Material Input Output
Piezoelectric Deformation Potential Difference
Potential The behavior of smart materials is reversible and
Electrostrictive Deformation consequently enables these materials to fulfill the
Difference
actuation and sensing in one components.
Magnetic
Magnetostrictive Deformation
Field
Thermoelectric Temperature Potential Difference
Shape Memory
Temperature Deformation
Alloys (SMA’s)
Photochromic Radiation Color Change
Thermochromics Temperature Color Change

The most important effects associated

to the coupling between each pair
Definition
One possible classification of smart materials
Classes and Categories

҉ Actively smart materials have both sensing and actuation capabilities. Smart materials, like
materials themselves, may belong to one of four classes:
metals or alloys,
Polymers,
ceramics,
or composites.

Microstructure of Terfenol-D/epoxy composite

Smart Materials for Sensing and Actuating
Input-output pairs in a cross-coupling of material properties, which are commonly
exploited for smart sensing and actuation.

The existence of cross-coupling between fields and others fields

makes these materials very useful for sensing and control.
Traditional vs. Smart Actuators

- Discrete displacements,
- Very high accuracy,
- Very low response time.
Classification Based on Fundamental Properties

҉ Materials may exhibit the characteristic either of reversibility or bidirectionality. This

can often allow further exploitation of their transient change rather than only of the input
and output energies and/or properties.
The bi-directional nature of shape memory alloys can be exploited to produce multiple or
switchable outputs, allowing the material to replace components comprised of many parts.
Classification Based on Fundamental Properties

҉ Smart materials change an input energy into another form to produce an output energy in
accordance with the First Law of Thermodynamics.
҉ Although the energy conversion efficiency for smart materials such as photovoltaics and
thermoelectrics is typically much less than for more conventional technologies, the
potential utility of the energy is much greater.
Classification Based on Fundamental Properties

҉ Smart materials undergo a change in a property or properties (chemical, thermal,

mechanical, electrical, optical, etc.,) in response to the changes in the conditions of the
environment of the material.
҉ The conditions of the environment may be ambient or produced through a direct energy
input. Included in this class are all color-changing materials, such as thermochromics,
electrochromics, and photochromics in which the molecular spectral absroptivity of visible
electromagnetic radiation is modified through an environmental change (solar radiation,
surface temperature) or a direct energy input to the material (current, voltage).
Classification Based on Fundamental Properties

One of the most fundamental characteristics that differentiate them from traditional
materials is the discrete size and direct action of the material.
҉ A component or element composed of a smart material can be much smaller than a
similar construction using more traditional materials and will also require less
infrastructural support.
The smaller size coupled with the directness of the property change and energy exchange
renders these materials to be particularly effective as sensors.
Advantages and Disadvantages

- High energy density. - very expensive.

- Excellent adaptivity. - not easily available in market.
- Exhibit cellular function. - very sensible so they need
- Show self sensing, actuation and control. proper care while storage it.
- Highly embeddable materials. - needs proper skill to recognize
- Some smart materials are self repaired materials as the it among other materials.
materials can repaired itself if damaged occurs.
- Have better durability and reliability.
- Reduces the production cost.
- Smart materials get smarter with ability to better control of
shape & size.
- Smart materials reduces the weight of component used in the
mechanical & electrical industries.
- The Structural Health Monitoring of smart materials can
easily and perfectly done.
Piezoelectric Materials

҉ When subjected to an electric charge or a variation in voltage, piezoelectric material will

undergo some mechanical change, and vice versa.
҉ These events are called the direct and converse effects.
҉ a voltage across the sample will produce stress within the sample.
҉ Suitably designed structures made from these materials can therefore be made that bend,
expand or contract when a voltage is applied.
Piezoelectric

A material that generates electricity when pressed. This electricity can be recognised
by a circuit, which then responds by lighting up or sending a signal to someone else.
Shape Memory Materials (SMM)

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) and shape memory polymers are thermoresponsive
materials, when subjected to a thermal field, this material will undergo phase
transformations which will produce shape changes.
Smart Springs

҉ Made from an alloy of nickel/titanium

҉ At room temperature the spring is fully extended manually

҉ By heating up or applying a small electric current the

spring will return to its original position.

҉ Possible applications Nitinol

Emergency shutter in case of fire
Blinds
Windows
Magnetostrictive Materials

҉ When subjected to a magnetic field, material will undergo an induced mechanical

strain and vice versa. Consequently, it can be used as sensors and/or actuators.
Electro-rheostatic (ER) and Magneto-rheostatic (MR) materials

҉ Fluids can experience a dramatic change in their viscosity. These fluids can change
from a thick fluid (similar to motor oil) to nearly a solid substance within the span of a
millisecond when exposed to a magnetic or electric field; The effect can be completely
reversed just as quickly when field removed.

MR fluids experience a viscosity change when exposed to magnetic field, while

ER fluids experience similar changes in an electric field.
Fiberoptic

҉ Fibres employ intensity, phase, frequency or polarization modulation to measure strain,

temperature, electrical/magnetic fields, pressure and other measurable quantities.
Thermochromic Inks

Inks that change color with temperature

Polymorph

҉ A material that becomes flexible when heated and turns back into plastic when
cooled.
҉ It is very useful when wanting to make a quick shape of an idea.
Photochromic Material

҉ Materials that change colour when exposed to light

҉ Possible Applications:
energy-efficient windows that switch from transparent to opaque
spontaneously upon exposure to increasing levels of sunlight
Phosphorescent Sheet

҉ It is a sheet that absorbs light energy and reemits it as white light up to eight hours. Used
extensively for emergency lighting in the event of a power cut.
Smart Materials vs. Smart Structures
҉ The term “smart structure” (smart device or smart system) is a structure that made of smart
materials. It incorporates actuators and sensors that are integrated into the structure and have
structural functionality, as well as integrated with a control logic, signal conditioning and
power amplification electronics.

Smart material can be considered

as an energy converter.

҉ Actuating, sensing and signal processing

elements are incorporated into a structure
for the purpose of influencing its states or
characteristics, be they mechanical,
thermal, optical, chemical, electrical or
magnetic.
҉ For example, a mechanically intelligent structure is capable of altering both mechanical states,
namely. its position or velocity, or its mechanical characteristic, in terms of its stiffness or damping.
Smart Structures
The current generation of smart structures incorporate one or more of the following features:
- Sensors, which are either embedded within structural materials or else bonded to the surface
of that material. The sensing function can be performed by a smart material, which, for
example, measures the intensity of the stimulus that is associated with a stress, strain, and
electrical, thermal, radioactive, or chemical phenomenon.
- Actuators, which are embedded within a structural material or else Smart Structure
bonded to the surface of the material. These actuators are typically
excited by an external stimulus such as electricity in order to either
changes their geometrical configuration or else change their stiffness
and energy dissipation properties in a controlled manner.
- Control capabilities, which permit the behaviour of the
material to respond to an external stimulus, according to a
prescribed functional relationship or control algorithm.
These capabilities typically involve one or more
microprocessors and data transmission links, which are
based on the utilization of an automatic control theory.
Why Smart Sensors and Actuators

҉ Real-time response (very fast working).

҉ Exploits the functional properties (means a material both works as a mechanical load
carrying system as well as it does functional work, so it makes the system very compact).

҉ Better embeddability with the composites (with the advent of composites, smart material
applications increased).

҉ Minimum effects on structural properties (some of the smart materials are quite good in
terms of their structural properties, reduction in weight, less power consumption and better
reliability).