Final Activity Report Summary - COMPOT (Composites magnetic shape memory Alloy- Polymer for Tunable damping)
Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy (FSAM)/polymer composites are materials that show a very large capacity to dissipate vibration, or absorve impacts. They can do so because the FSMA particles that make up the composites can deform pseudo-plastically. The research carried out on these materials gained insight on the microscopy phenomena involved during the cyclic deformation of the composites. Work was done on understanding the role of the polymeric matrix on the response of the composite, and on finding a polymer that would maximize the response of the composite, based on its ability to transfer the stress applied to the composite to the metal particles found within it.
To study the properties of the metal particles in the composites magnetic measurements and neutron diffraction techniques were used. The processing of the material while curing the matrix also played an important role on the final results obtained since a magnetic field was applied during the curing to ensure that certain planes of atoms within the metal particles had a specific orientation relative to the direction of the magnetic field applied during the curing.
The composites also showed that they could absorve a large fraction of the energy of an impact. This is an important application of these materials, since it means that they could be used in applications related to the protection of persons during crashes, in addition to being useful in reducing vibrations due to machinery.
To study the properties of the metal particles in the composites magnetic measurements and neutron diffraction techniques were used. The processing of the material while curing the matrix also played an important role on the final results obtained since a magnetic field was applied during the curing to ensure that certain planes of atoms within the metal particles had a specific orientation relative to the direction of the magnetic field applied during the curing.
The composites also showed that they could absorve a large fraction of the energy of an impact. This is an important application of these materials, since it means that they could be used in applications related to the protection of persons during crashes, in addition to being useful in reducing vibrations due to machinery.