Smart Materials

The term 'Smart Materials' is used to indicate new products and materials that are to some extent "intelligent".  Smart materials can be stimuli-responsive, meaning they react to an external stimulus and return to their original state when the stimulus stops.  They can also have an intelligent design or perform multiple functions.  When materials are designed at the molecular level, nanotechnology enables the smart functions.

Electronic paper or e-paper is a very exciting application, recently gaining interest on the market. Several different technical approaches exist to achieve the required added functions like electrofluids or smart designed inks and turn 'paper' into "e-paper".

Another way to achieve new functions is to print so-called Advanced Materials.  Printing of RFID's with low cost inks should allow electronic identification on a larger scale in the near future.  Specifically it requires the development of performing and low-cost inks and printing technology.  Other exciting smart materials are electroluminescent, mechanochromic, piezo- or thermoelectronic, anti-microbial, intumescent and more.

Creating better and more performing products often means they should be multifunctional, i.e. coatings should be protective, but also scratch resistant. Often other functional properties like anti-wetting or electric or thermal conductivity are demanded.  In the new laboraty of Sirris Surface Treatments nano-enhanced multifunctional coatings will be researched and developed.

The Smart Materials session will focus on possible applications of existing technology in this field. Interact with the experts and post your own topics and challenges on this theme.