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SHAPE MEMORY EFFECTS IN ADVANCED MULTIFUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
Coordinator: Elżbieta Pieczyska
Team: Dominik Kukla, Maria Staszczak, Jan Kraskowski, Michał Majewski, Ewa Moskała, Artur Myczka
CAN MATERIALS REMEMBER THEIR SHAPE?
Presentation 1: Shape memory effects in TiNi shape memory alloys
Examples of TiNi shape memory alloy (SMA) samples were shown. Their structure and properties were explained. It was presented how the SMA shape and dimensions change depending on the temperature. Volunteers deformed SMA wires, springs or clips. After immersing them in hot water the samples recovered their former shapes and sizes. The observed effects result from the crystallographically reversible martensitic transformation, which can be stress- or temperature-induced.
"AND YET IT MOVES" AS GALILEO GALILEI ALLEGEDLY SAID
Rotation of solid state engine based on shape memory alloy effect
Presentation 2: Application of shape memory effect in shape memory alloys
An example of practical applications of shape memory alloys was demonstrated.
A model of a solid state engine, using the SMA shape memory effect, made by students of AICHI Institute of Technology in Japan and gifted to IPPT PAN, was presented. When the engine was partly put in the hot water, its spectacular rotation was observed.
HOW POLYMERS REMEMBER THEIR SHAPE?
Why the sunflowers "follow" the sun?
Presentation 3: Shape memory effects in polymers
Samples of Shape memory polymer (SMP) were shown. Their structure and properties which significantly differ below and above Tg (glass transition temperature) were explained. Two phenomena which can be observed in the SMP were presented. The first is shape fixity which means that it is possible to fix the SMP temporary shape obtained at temperature above Tg by following cooling at the temperature below Tg. The second phenomenon, called shape recovery, denotes the property that the original shape, changed due to deformation at the higher temperature and fixed at the lower temperature, is recovered during subsequent heating above the SMP Tg temperature. Moreover, it was explained why the sunflower and other plants follow the sun.
LIGHT - HOW THE FUJI SAN CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE SUN LIGHTING?
Presentation 4. Images of Fuji San volcano were presented in various seasons and lighting - changing from the bright illumination during the sunrise or sunset to the dark night.
About the Science Picnic
The Science Picnic of the Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre is the largest European outdoor event dedicated to science. Scientific institutions, universities, research centres, museums, foundations related to science and research present their achievements. They show science in a manner understandable to audiences of all ages, using experiments, demonstrations and interactive exhibits.
The first Picnic - as the Science Picnic of Polish Radio BIS - was held on 14 June 1997 at the Down Town Square. The Science Picnic was nominated by the European Commission in 2005 as one of 10 model European projects in the "Science and Society" field. Since 2008 it is organized jointly by the Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre, from 2013 at the National Stadium of Poland, built for EURO 2012.