✅3.2 - Smart and modern materials Flashcards
What is a polymorph?
A polymer that becomes malleable when heated to about 62°C. When it cools down it becomes hard enough to drill and cut. This makes it perfect for modeling as it can be reheated and formed again.
What are thermochromic pigments?
Changes colour when their temperature changes.
These pigments can be mixed with paint or polymers to give the materials the same color-changing properties as the pigment.
What are photochromic pigments?
Pigments change their properties when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. A well-known example would be photochromic lenses in glasses, where the lenses are clear when worn inside a building, but become more like sunglasses when exposed to the bright sunlight outside.
What is shape memory?
The property by which a material turns into its original shape under specific environmental conditions, such as ambient temperature or heat from an electrical current
What is a polymer?
A substance comprised of large molecules of the same kind
What is a biomimicry?
Some smart and modern materials that are inspired by nature
Example of smart and modern materials
- SMA/nitinol
- SMP
- Thermochromic inks
- Photochromic inks
- Lenticular sheet
- Polymorph
- Smart grease
Uses of SMA
Used in stents, which are tubes inserted into damaged blood vessels
Uses of SMP
Valves/pumps for liquids
Uses of thermochromic inks
- Changes in colour in response to temperature
- Forehead thermometer strips
Uses of photochromic inks
- Changes in colour in response to light level, UV, IR
- Light reacting sunglasses
Uses of lenticular sheet
- Makes the images appear to flicker or move
- Cards with 3d effects
- Photocards HAHAHAHAH JK
Uses of polymorph
- Small pellets
- Prototype difficult shapes (joints and handles)
Uses of smart grease
- Viscous gel which will uniformly control the movement between two friction surfaces
- Dampens movement, smooth rotations
