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Smart Composites: Design, Manufacturing and Integration

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Sustainable Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2025 | Viewed by 4438

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
C-MAST, Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Calçada Fonte do Lameiro, 6201-100 Covilhã, Portugal
Interests: smart materials; composites; organic and printed electronics; sensors and actuators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Centre for Mechanical and Aerospace Science and Technologies (C-MAST-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês d’Ávila e Bolama, 6200-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Interests: multifunctional materials; composites; sensors and actuators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of sustainable and interconnected smart systems, strongly based on the development of smart and multifunctional materials are a great challenge for the research community. Smart materials represent a class of materials increasingly used for advanced applications. Its ease of processing, the development of electronics, namely the growth of printed electronics, has made composite materials increasingly capable of being developed according to market needs. The combination of materials in a smart composite is a challenge due to the complexity of controlling the actuation or sensing capabilities of the materials that compose it. The design, its manufacture, and subsequent integration are thus the key to increasingly complex applications. This Special Issue will focus not only on modern methods, technologies, further integration and applications, but also on the discussion of the latest progress of this scientific subject. It is our pleasure to invite you to submit an original manuscript for this Special Issue, review papers, full papers, and short communications are all welcome.

Dr. Marco P. Silva
Dr. João Nunes-Pereira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • smart materials
  • composites
  • smart composites
  • self-sensing
  • electromechanical response
  • háptic feedback
  • sensors
  • actuators
  • multifunctional materials

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 23127 KiB  
Article
Effect of Cohesive Properties on Low-Velocity Impact Simulations of Woven Composite Shells
by Luis M. Ferreira, Carlos A. C. P. Coelho and Paulo N. B. Reis
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 6948; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13126948 - 8 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1749
Abstract
The effect of the interface stiffness and interface strength on the low-velocity impact response of woven-fabric semicylindrical composite shells is studied using finite element (FE) models generated with continuum shell elements and cohesive surfaces. The intralaminar damage is accounted for using the constitutive [...] Read more.
The effect of the interface stiffness and interface strength on the low-velocity impact response of woven-fabric semicylindrical composite shells is studied using finite element (FE) models generated with continuum shell elements and cohesive surfaces. The intralaminar damage is accounted for using the constitutive model provided within the ABAQUS software, while the interlaminar is addressed utilising cohesive surfaces. The results show that the interface stiffness has a negligible effect on the force and energy histories for values between 101 N/mm3 and 2.43 × 106 N/mm3. However, it has a significant impact on the delamination predictions. It is observed that only the normal interface strength affects the maximum impact force and the delamination predictions. Increasing its value from 15 MPa to 30 MPa resulted in an 8% growth in the maximum force, and a substantial reduction in the delaminated area. The obtained results serve as guidelines for the accurate and efficient computation of delamination. The successful validation of the FE models establishes a solid foundation for further numerical investigations and offers the potential to significantly reduce the time and expenses associated with experimental testing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Composites: Design, Manufacturing and Integration)
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17 pages, 7367 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Low Electrical Percolation Threshold Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Sensors Using Magnetic Patterning
by David Seixas Esteves, Nelson Durães, Rúben Pedroso, Amanda Melo, Maria C. Paiva and Elsa W. Sequeiros
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1437; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13031437 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1764
Abstract
Soft robotics is an expanding area with multiple applications; however, building low-cost, soft, and flexible robots requires the development of sensors that can be directly integrated into the soft robotics fabrication process. Thus, the motivation for this work was the design of a [...] Read more.
Soft robotics is an expanding area with multiple applications; however, building low-cost, soft, and flexible robots requires the development of sensors that can be directly integrated into the soft robotics fabrication process. Thus, the motivation for this work was the design of a low-cost fabrication process of flexible sensors that can detect touch and deformation. The fabrication process proposed uses a flexible polymer nanocomposite with permanent magnets strategically placed where the conductive electrodes should be. The nanocomposite is based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The MWCNT contains ferromagnetic impurities remaining from the synthesis process, which can be used for magnetic manipulation. Several electrode geometries were successfully simulated and tested. The magnetic patterning was simulated, allowing the fabrication of conductive patterns within the composite. This fabrication process allowed the reduction of the electrical resistivity of the nanocomposites as compared to the composites with homogeneous MWCNT dispersion. It also allowed the fabrication of piezoresistive and triboelectric sensors at MWCNT concentration as low as 0.5 wt.%. The fabrication process proposed is flexible, allows the development of sensors for soft robotics, as well as monitoring large and unconventional areas, and may be adapted to different mould shapes and polymers at low cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Composites: Design, Manufacturing and Integration)
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