Adaptive hinged fiber reinforced plastics with tailored shape memory alloy hybrid yarn

Abstract

AbstractCurrently, there is an urgent need to reduce the CO2 footprint and simultaneously improve resource efficiency. Hence, conventional construction materials are increasingly being replaced by fiber reinforced plastics, which can be used more efficiently by integration of actuator materials for the formation of adaptive fiber reinforced plastics. This paper presents the development of adaptive hinged fiber reinforced plastics based on shape memory alloys, which were structurally integrated into reinforcing fabrics by weaving technology. Prior to weaving, the SMA was converted into hybrid yarns in the form of core‐sheath structures by means of friction spinning technology. The produced functionalized fabrics were varied by the distance between two adjacent SMAs and their hinged width. Subsequently, the deformation behavior of adaptive fiber reinforced fabrics was tested, and results were evaluated in terms of quasi‐static and dynamic aspects. Results revealed that the maximum deformation of adaptive FRP was tripled by increasing the hinged width from 50 to 150 mm and doubled by reducing the distance between two adjacent SMAs from 20 to 10 mm.