Natural structures can respond to external stimuli to trigger particular functionality, in order to perform some tasks (for basic biological functions to occur, to protect themselves, to perform locomotion, etc.). This functional behavior has been naturally encoded within these structures from basic biological processes, and so they are naturally-programmed to behave in a certain way. The increasing demand for smart and responsive devices to be used in many advanced and daily-life applications, has promoted the interest of researchers and engineers in developing synthetic functional materials (smart materials) which, similarly to natural structures, can respond to external stimuli in a functional way in order to meet the specific requirements of the application in turn. In this thesis, the so-called process-microstructure-responsiveness relationship concept is exploited to control and program the mechanical response of innovative synthetic polymer-based functional materials; in fact, thanks to innovative synthesis process (3D printing), the microstructure of a synthetic functional material can be programmed and fabricated in order to encode a specific tailored mechanical responsiveness to the material. The process-dependent material's microstructure offers a wide design space for the development of new functional polymers. To this aim, physics-based models capable to relate the microstructure of a functional material to its responsiveness (as well as to its synthesis process), to support its design through an engineering approach, are proposed. In particular, the theoretical and computational modeling of the process-dependent mechanical response of thermally-responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer (LCE) materials and of materials obtained through photopolymerization, is considered. It is shown how microscale features of the material, today controllable by means of innovative synthesis and manufacturing processes, can be tuned in order to control and program the shape-morphing of LCE materials under thermal stimuli or the mechanical response of photopolymerized materials.
Programmable response and controlled morphing of polymer-based elements / Cosma, M.P.. - (2022).
Programmable response and controlled morphing of polymer-based elements
COSMA, MATTIA PANCRAZIO
2022-01-01
Abstract
Natural structures can respond to external stimuli to trigger particular functionality, in order to perform some tasks (for basic biological functions to occur, to protect themselves, to perform locomotion, etc.). This functional behavior has been naturally encoded within these structures from basic biological processes, and so they are naturally-programmed to behave in a certain way. The increasing demand for smart and responsive devices to be used in many advanced and daily-life applications, has promoted the interest of researchers and engineers in developing synthetic functional materials (smart materials) which, similarly to natural structures, can respond to external stimuli in a functional way in order to meet the specific requirements of the application in turn. In this thesis, the so-called process-microstructure-responsiveness relationship concept is exploited to control and program the mechanical response of innovative synthetic polymer-based functional materials; in fact, thanks to innovative synthesis process (3D printing), the microstructure of a synthetic functional material can be programmed and fabricated in order to encode a specific tailored mechanical responsiveness to the material. The process-dependent material's microstructure offers a wide design space for the development of new functional polymers. To this aim, physics-based models capable to relate the microstructure of a functional material to its responsiveness (as well as to its synthesis process), to support its design through an engineering approach, are proposed. In particular, the theoretical and computational modeling of the process-dependent mechanical response of thermally-responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer (LCE) materials and of materials obtained through photopolymerization, is considered. It is shown how microscale features of the material, today controllable by means of innovative synthesis and manufacturing processes, can be tuned in order to control and program the shape-morphing of LCE materials under thermal stimuli or the mechanical response of photopolymerized materials.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
