Active and sensitive material systems based on composites

Dept, of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoicho, Inage-ku, Chiha-slii, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan asanuma@ meneth. tm. chiba-u.ac.jp

Abstract

This paper describes new concepts the author has proposed and demonstrated to realize metal and polymer based sensitive and active structural material systems. The following topics are mainly examined : i) an active laminate of CFRP (works as «bone» and «blood vessel»)/epoxy (as insulator)/aluminum (as /muscle»)/electrode (to apply voltage on CFRP) of which unidirectional actuation is realized by electrical resistance healing of carbon liber in the CFRP layer and its curvature change can be monitored using optical fiber multiply fractured in the CFRP layer (works as «nerve»), and ii) a multifunctional aluminum-matrix composite where TiO₂/Ti composite fiber is embedded for sensing temperature and strain, generation of heat for actuation, self healing and self repair.