Understanding the effects of root structure on the mechanical behaviour of engineered plant root materials

Plant root growth can be altered by introducing obstacles in the path of growth. This principle is used in design to produce planar grid structures composed of interweaving roots. The Engineered Plant Root Materials (EPRMs) grown with this method have the potential to serve as environmentally sensitive alternatives for conventional materials,...

Development of Low Hysteresis, Linear Weft-Knitted Strain Sensors for Smart Textile Applications

In recent years, knitted strain sensors have been developed that aim to achieve reliable sensing and high wearability, but they are associated with difficulties due to high hysteresis and low gauge factor (GF) values. This study investigated the electromechanical performance of the weft-knitted strain sensors with a systematic approach to...

Modelling and mechanical design of a flexible tube-guided SMA actuator

Shape memory alloy (SMA) wires are excellent candidates for wearable actuators since they are thin, low weight and have a high actuation force. The main drawbacks are that the wire should be kept straight and needs to be relatively long to enable a large enough actuation stroke. Embedding the SMA wire in a flexible tube largely enhances its...

Review of magnetic shape memory polymers and magnetic soft materials

Magnetic soft materials (MSMs) and magnetic shape memory polymers (MSMPs) have been some of the most intensely investigated newly developed material types in the last decade, thanks to the great and versatile potential of their innovative characteristic behaviors such as remote and nearly heatless shape transformation in the case of MSMs....

Thermo-mechanical fatigue lifetime assessment of spheroidal cast I\iron at different thermal constraint levels

In previous work on the thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) of compacted graphite iron (CGI), lifetimes measured under total constraint were confirmed analytically by numerical integration of Paris’ crack-growth law. In current work, the results for CGI are further validated for spheroidal cast iron (SGI), while TMF tests at different constraint...

Proposal of characterization procedure of metal-graphite interface strength in compacted graphite iron

Compacted graphite iron is the material of choice for engine cylinder heads of heavy-duty trucks. Compacted graphite iron provides the best possible compromise between optimum mechanical properties, compared to flake graphite iron, and optimum thermal conductivity, compared to spheroidal graphite iron. The vermicular-shaped graphite particles...

Measuring plasticity with orientation contrast microscopy in aluminium 6061-T4

Orientation contrast microscopy (i.e., electron backscattered diffraction, EBSD) was employed to monitor the plastic strain in loaded tensile samples of aluminium alloy Al6061 in T4 condition. The kernel average misorientation (KAM) is known to be an appropriate parameter in orientation contrast microscopy which has the potential to characterise...

Quantitative correlation between slip patterning and microstructure during tensile elongation in 6xxx series aluminum alloy

To the purpose of evaluating the effect of deformation on the microstructure, aluminum structures were analyzed on tensile strained samples extended to 25% elongation. In the substructure of these deformed samples linear slip patterns were observed, generally confined to the bulk of the grain. In order to study the crystallographic aspect of...

Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue of Compacted Graphite Iron in Diesel Engine Components

Cast iron components in combustion engines, such as cylinder blocks and heads of trucks, are exposed for long periods of time to elevated temperatures. Moreover, the engines are started and stopped frequently during their operational life, constituting a large number of heating and cooling cycles. In geometrical complex components the sudden...

Effects of Holding Time on Thermomechanical Fatigue Properties of Compacted Graphite Iron Through Tests with Notched Specimens

In cylinder heads of compacted graphite iron (CGI), the heating and cooling cycles can lead to localized cracking due to thermomechanical fatigue (TMF). Traditionally, TMF behavior is studied by thermal cycling of smooth specimens. The resulting number of cycles to failure (Nf) constitutes a single parameter that can be used to predict actual...