Smart materials based on shape memory alloys: Examples from Europe

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) have become increasingly attractive as embedded actuators in polymers yielding adaptive composite structures. In particular, SMA-elements have been used to actively or passively control shape, elastic modules, internal stress level and damping capacity of such smart composites. In the passive approach, copper-base SMA-plates can be used as temperature-sensitive damping elements, an interesting solution to improve the vibrational behaviour of alpine skis for example. Active materials are obtained by the integration of pre-strained Ni-Ti-base thin wires in polymer matrix composites enabling control of the vibrational behaviour through the recovery-stress tuning technique. In this paper, some results of national research programmes in Belgium and Switzerland, mainly concerning the damping capacity, are shown and a new European project entitled "Adaptive Composites with Embedded Shape Memory Alloy Wires" is presented in which partners from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Great Britain and Switzerland are collaborating.