Smart Materials Flashcards
What are smart materials?
Materials that change their properties in response to stimuli, such as temperature, light, stress, moisture or pH.
They return to their original state when the stimulus is taken away (reversible).
What are shape memory alloys?
Alloys that remember their original shape. They can be easily shaped when cool, but return to their original shape when heated above a certain temperature.
E.g. nitinol
What are photochromic pigments?
Pigments that change colour reversibly in response to light. They can be put into spectacle lenses to make glasses that turn into sunglasses when it’s sunny, or deigns on t-shirts that only show when it’s sunny.
What are thermochromic pigments?
Pigments that react to temperature - they are used in colour changing products. When the temperature changes, the colour changes, but it changes back when it returns to its original temperature.
They can be used in babies’ feeding spoons so the parent knows the food isn’t too hot.
What are composites?
Enhanced materials that are made from two or more different materials bonded together, which have more useful properties than those of the individual materials they are made from.
