Smart Actuation Flashcards
Smart materials - definition
Designed with one or more properties that can be changed in response to an external stimuli
Part of group of materials broadly known as functional materials
Why use smart material sensors/actuators
- real time response
- high accuracy
- exploit functional properties
- highly embeddable
- minimal effect on structural properties
- reduction in weight
- less power consumption
- better reliability
- recent tech advancements allow better integration
Traditional vs smart materials
Traditional
- designed for certain performance requirements e.g speed
- unable to change specifications if change in environment
Smart
- can accommodate unpredictable environments & meet exact performance requirements
- offer more efficient solutions for wide range of applications
Smart material: types
Based on input parameters can categorize smart materials:
- Electric field: piezo electric, electro active polymers (EAP), IPMC, electrostrictive, electrostatic MEMS
- Magnetic field: magnetostrictive, magneto-rheological (MR) fluid
- Chemical: Mechano-chemical
- Heat: Shape memory alloy, shape memory polymer
5: Light: photostrictive
Most of these have direct & reverse effects. e.g piezoelectric materials can be used as an actuator or at the same time a sensor
Active polymer: definition & types
Polymers that respond to external stimuli by changing shape/size.
Two main type:
1. Active polymers - respond to input stimuli e.g pH, magnetic field, light
2. Electro-active - respond to change of electrical input
Active polymer - light driven
Light polymers
Contract - under Visible light
Expand - under UV light
Responds to light due to azobenzene group containing N=N group.
Visible light - N=N bonds have cis formation, polymer and bent
UV - N=N bonds are trans and polymer flattens
Electro-active polymer (EAP) types
Two types
- Electronic (EEAP): need high activation voltage (>150V/μm). These materials have high density energy & rapid response time (mili s)
- Ionic (IEAP) - small driving voltage (1-5V). Slow response time and performs better under wet conditions.
Types of IEAP & EEAP
EEAP
1. Dielectric EAP
2. Electrostrictive paper
3. Ferroelectric polymer
4. Liquid crystal elastomer
IEAP
1. Ionic polymer gels (IPG)
2. Ionic polymer metal composite (IMPC)
3. Conducting polymers
4. Carbon nanotubes (CNT)
IPMC structure
IMPCs consist for polymer matrix (needs to be kept moist) sandwiched between 2 metal layers
Polymer = a fixed network with - charge balanced by mobile positive ions. Selemion/Nafion = 2 popular ion exchange membranes
IPMC stimuli response
When subjected to DC voltage
Accumulation of cations near cathode —> water molecules move to this side —> hyrdophilic expansion
Polymer bends to anode side, with time = back diffusion off water molecules —> slow relaxation towards cathode
Extent of actuation depends on polymer type, counter ion type, presence of moisture, quality of metalization
IPMC pros & cons
Pros
- large deformation
- low actuation voltage
- fast response
Cons
- low force
- electrode delamination
Active polymer - future
Higher responsiveness - larger actuation for smaller stimulation
Agility - faster response (increasing bandwidth of existing smart materials)
Higher order functionality -
self sensing/ self actuating,
self healing,
autophagous - energy harvesting/scavenging
Shape memory alloys (SMA) - definition & types
SMAs are metals that “remember” their initial shape.
Types that are currently popular
- copper zinc aluminum (Cu Zn Al)
- copper alum nickel (Cu Al Ni)
- iron manganese silicon (Fe Mn Si)
- Nickel titanium (Ni Ti)
Generic name for family of Ni Ti alloys = NiTinol
SMA stimuli response
SMA has multiple solid phases
- low temp (martensite)
- high temp (austenite)
- to set the shape of the SMAs, it must be held in austenite phase at high temp (~500c)
- when cools transfers to martensite, but without changing shape now if deformed —> material doesn’t change phase but alignment pattern changes slightly.
- so if heat wire —> returns

Piezoelectrics history
Piezo originate from Greek word piezin = squeeze/press/pressure
Piezoelectric effect discovered by curie brothers (1880) —> pressure generates electrical charge.
Reverse piezoelectric effect discovered by Gabriel lippmann —> electric fields can deform piezoelectric materials