Adjustable-Stiffness Films via Integrated Thermal Modulation
✍ Scribed by Hua Dong; Glenn M. Walker
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2010
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 389 KB
- Volume
- 295
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1438-7492
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
We present a new strategy for fabricating thermally responsive adjustable stiffness materials. A microfabricated heater embedded within a composite film is used to modulate the temperature of a low melting point polymer. Currents ranging from 0 to 200 mA were applied to the microheater and modulated material stiffness ≈100‐fold between 1.03 GPa and 10.9 MPa. The outside temperature of the composite ranged from 23 to 45.5 °C over this range of currents, suggesting its possible use in biomedical applications. The softened composite was bent into arbitrary shapes and allowed to restiffen, highlighting the reconfigurable nature of the material.
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