Smart materials
A collection of resources to support the teaching of smart materials. For this collection we consider smart materials to include materials that have one or more property, that can be significantly changed in a controlled fashion by external stimuli, such as stress, temperature, electricity, moisture, or PH.
For example, shape memory alloys, thermochromic pigments and photochromic pigments, shape memory alloys, Quantum Tunnelling Composite, photo-chromic; thermo-chromic and piezoelectric materials.
Inspired by space: smart materials
This collection of resources has been developed to support the teaching of smart materials. Each resource is inspired by space, providing information, experiments and discussion points for each of the smart materials and technologies.
Smart Materials
This collection of smart materials resources supports students to learn about Quantum Tunnelling Composite, shape memory alloys, polymorph, microencapsulation, photochromic dyes, thermochromic dyes and E-textiles. The collection provides a classroom presentation, teacher notes, student worksheets, student revision questions and a mock exam worksheet.
Shape memory alloys
A collection of resources to support teaching students about shape memory alloys.
Quantum Tunnelling Composite
A collection of resources to support teaching about Quantum Tunnelling Composite
Thermochromic Pigment
This video clip can be used to introduce Thermochromic materials.
Thermochromic materials are typically microencapsulated, with the microcapsules having a diameter typically between 3 to 5 µm, which is significantly larger than traditional pigment particles. The active mixture of compounds often contains leuco dyes in a low-melting point solvent that is a solid at room temperature. These dyes have two forms, one coloured and one colourless. When the solvent is solid, the dye is in its coloured form. When the temperature is increased and the solvent melts, the dye changes to its colourless form. By mixing a microencapsulated thermochromic pigment with a thermoplastic polymer, versatile products can be made that change colour when the temperature changes, for example, a bath toy that changes colour to warn when the water is too hot. Thermocolour film changes colour from black through red, green and to blue as the temperature increases. Students can use this film to investigate the thermal conductivity of different materials. Initially, students could compare the effect of placing a beaker of hot water on thermocolour film which has been placed on a metal lid with film which has been placed on a plastic lid. They should find that a coloured halo spreads out rapidly on the metal lid, but slowly on the plastic lid.
Piezoelectric Product
n this activity, from the Institution of Engineering and technology, students work in groups to investigate how Piezoelectric materials can be used in a variety of different ways. For the development element of the project, students propose an innovative application for the Piezoelectric effect.
Smart Materials
This resource includes examples of real technologies which can be used as inspiration for the teaching of smart materials. Following on from the challenges that Tim Peake and his clothing will face in space, these case studies include background information for teachers, supporting Powerpoint slides, and example activities. The case studies include Photochromic materials; Thermochromic materials; Functional Surface; and Printable Electronics
Magical metals, how shape memory alloys work
This video explains what a shape memory alloy is, what they can do and gives everyday (and non-everyday!) examples of how they are used.