Light Weight Active Structural Materials

Abstract

Magnet-polymer (Magpol) composites have very interesting soft transduction properties, including the ability to undergo large strains in response to an external magnetic field. In this project, the mechanical properties of a ferrogel composite system were investigated. The contraction behavior of composites prepared from silicone and micron sized iron particles was studied under the influence of an external magnetic field. By simply changing the boundary conditions, the actuation mode could be changed from axial contraction to a novel coiling mechanism. The actuation strain in the coiling mode is 60%, approximately 50% higher than in axial contraction. The actuation stress in coiling mode is 184 kPa, more than 10% higher than in axial contraction. Magnet-polymer composites used in the coiling mode can be useful for soft actuator applications and may be applicable for a wide range of aerospace applications in which smart lightweight active structures are required, e.g., in morphing materials for UAV.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 12, 2011
Accession Number
ADA550301

Entities

People

  • Raju V. Ramanujan

Organizations

  • Nanyang Technological University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Actuators
  • Boundaries
  • Composite Materials
  • Elastic Properties
  • Electron Microscopes
  • Lightweight
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Properties
  • Magnets
  • Materials
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Particles
  • Physical Properties
  • Polymer Matrix Composites
  • Weight

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics of Materials.
  • Optical Fiber Sensing and Electromagnetic Propagation.
  • Robotics and Automation.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster