Advanced Development of a Smart Material Design, Modeling, and Selection Tool

Abstract

Smart materials have significantly varied properties and their various types are used broadly in many different engineering applications. It is important to develop tools which enable one to determine the best material for a particular application. In this research, system-level simulation models and collected material data are compiled in a GUI-based computer software called Polymers and Smart Materials Database (PSMD). This material selection tool encompasses material properties and material-level models as well as potential smart material applications. This type of compiled data can expedite the material selection process when designing smart material based systems by allowing one to choose the most effective material for the application. The software tool offers a wide variety of design and selection features. Material property and performance charts are provided to compare material properties and to choose the best material for optimal performance. The tool enables users to categorize material properties and create their own databases. This paper also highlights the modeling strategies being conducted in the area of elastomers and smart materials.