Bi-directional Environmentally Responsive Composites (ERC) composed of Ti-Ni alloy effectors and CFRTP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic) were created in order to investigate the temperature responses and a method of responsive shape control of the ERC. Environmental responsiveness was defined as the responsiveness rate and the recovery rate corresponding to the change of environmental temperature. Responsive shape control was done by the controlling for the curvature of ERC, namely, when the mechanical properties and the initial curvature of the effectors were given and the curvatures of ERC at the low and high temperature were set, the equations were derived in order to calculate the initial curvature and flexural rigidity of the matrices. As a result, it was found that a bi-directional responsive ERC has superior performance could be made by appropriately choosing the properties, the geometries and volume fractions of effectors and matrices. The ratios of experimental and calculating values are very close on 1.0, the numerical results were fairly satisfactory ones.

Date Published: 26 April 1996
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 2779, 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Materials and 3rd European Conference on Smart Structures and Materials, (26 April 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.237172

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2779:
3rd International Conference on Intelligent Materials and 3rd European Conference on Smart Structures and Materials
Pierre Francois Gobin; Jacques Tatibouet, Editor(s)