Multi-material Systems Research Articles

Metainterfaces with mechanical, thermal, and active programming properties based on programmable orientation-distributed biometric architectonics.

Interfaces between different materials crucially determine the performance of multi-material systems, impacting a wide range of industries. Currently, precisely programming interfaces with distinct properties at different localized interface positions remains a challenge, leading to limited interface adaptability and unpredictable interface failures, thus hindering the development of next-generation materials and engineering systems with highly customizable multiphysical interface performances. Our research introduces programmable "metainterfaces" for the first time, featuring engineerable biometric architectonics that allows for mechanically, thermally, and actively programmed distribution of interfacial effects by its orientation, driven by artificial intelligence. Enabled by metainterfaces, we showcased improved mechanical properties of future composite metamaterials by programming interface resistance customized to the decoupling modes of distinct lattice topologies. Additionally, we demonstrate enhanced and programmable impact mechanics in fish scale assemblies equipped with pre-programmed metainterface sheets. The proposed metainterface also allows for coolant flow programming in thermal management systems, opening new avenues for development of highly customizable thermos-mechanical systems. Additionally, we introduce digitally controlled "metadisks" enabled by metainterfaces as novel solutions for actively programmable interface systems in robotics, offering real-time adaptive and intelligent interfacial mechanics. This research sets the foundation for next-generation multi-material systems with precisely programmed interfacial effects, offering broad applicability in areas such as smart materials, advanced thermal management, and intelligent robotics.

Topology optimization of multi-material active structures to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint

A multi-material active structure is a mechanical system made of passive and active materials with the ability to alter its configuration, form, or properties in response to changes in the environment. Active structures have been investigated to design lightweight structures and structures with the ability to “smartly” alter their shapes and/or internal forces. Recently, the potential of active structures to reduce environmental impact, i.e., reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, has been investigated. It has been verified that, compared to passive structures, active structures can not only use less material but also consume less energy and cause less GHG emissions during their service life, and thus have a significant potential to be applied as environment-friendly mechanical structures. This study aims to develop a general topology optimization (TO) approach to design novel multi-material active structural systems to reduce environmental impact. The approach is based on the density-based TO scheme. Passive and active materials are considered in the TO process and are required to be optimally distributed according to the optimization objective and constraints. The energy consumption or GHG emissions caused by the structure during its service life are treated as the objective function to be minimized under multiple displacement requirements. Typical examples are carried out to verify the developed approach. Results show that the topology optimized active structures may not only achieve significant weight savings but also less energy consumption and GHG emissions compared to equivalent topology optimized passive structures, which indicates that the developed approach has the potential to be applied to design novel structural systems with lighter weight, larger span, and with less environmental impact compared to conventional passive structural systems.

Design-encoded dual shape-morphing and shape-memory in 4D printed polymer parts toward cellularized vascular grafts.

Current additive manufacturing technologies wherein as-printed simple two-dimensional (2D) structures morph into complex tissue mimetic three-dimensional (3D) shapes are limited to multi-material hydrogel systems, which necessitates multiple fabrication steps and specific materials. This work utilizes a single shape memory thermoplastic polymer (SMP), PLMC (polylactide-co-trimethylene carbonate), to achieve programmable shape deformation through anisotropic design and infill angles encoded during 3D printing. The shape changes were first computationally predicted through finite element analysis (FEA) simulations and then experimentally validated through quantitative correlation. Rectangular 2D sheets could self-roll into complete hollow tubes of specific diameters (ranging from ≈6 mm to ≈10 mm) and lengths (as long as 40 mm), as quantitatively predicted from FEA simulations within one minute at relatively lower temperatures (≈80 °C). Furthermore, shape memory properties were demonstrated post-shape change to exhibit dual shape morphing at temperatures close to physiological levels. The tubes (retained as the permanent shape) were deformed into flat sheets (temporary shape), seeded with endothelial cells (at T < Tg), and thereafter triggered at ≈37 °C back into tubes (permanent shape), utilizing the shape memory properties to yield bioresorbable tubes with cellularized lumens for potential use as vascular grafts with improved long-term patency. Additionally, out-of-plane bending and twisting deformation were demonstrated in complex structures by careful control of infill angles that can unprecedently expand the scope of cellularized biomimetic 3D shapes. This work demonstrates the potential of the combination of shape morphing and SMP behaviors at physiological temperatures to yield next-generation smart implants with precise control over dimensions for tissue repair and regeneration.

High entropy alloy cladding on mild steel substrate using microwave energy at 2.45 GHz: An insight from multi-physics simulation study to experimental investigations

Microwave hybrid heating (MHH) has emerged as a novel technology for cladding high-entropy alloy (HEA) powders on metallic substrates. The existence of a multi-material system (Al, Co, Cr, Ni, and Ti powder) in HEA provides difficulties in microwave cladding. These problems are addressed in the current study by employing silicon carbide as a susceptor material for MHH to microwave-clad AlCoCrNiTi HEA on a mild steel substrate. A multi-physics model of the microwave cladding setup was constructed to investigate the cladding properties. The model was verified using experimental data, and simulation was used to examine the electric field, resistive losses, energy distributions, and temperature-time profile. The simulation results indicated that the electric field intensity, resistive losses, and energy distribution were at their maximum near the susceptor and the cladded surface. As a result, the HEA-cladded surface reached a temperature of 1030 °C at the central plane. This is comparable to the experimental temperature of 1041 °C in 41 min, which shows an error of <10 %. From the microstructural investigation, the HEA powder exhibited a flaky microstructure and a uniform distribution of all the constituents, resulting in a solid metallurgical link between the HEA powder and substrate. The surface hardness of mild steel components was enhanced intensely by three times with the inclusion of AlCoCrNiTi HEA cladding.

Frequency-constrained topology optimization in incompressible multi-material systems under design-dependent loads

In the realm of engineering design, structures grappling with fluidic pressure loads within precise frequency constraints necessitate innovative approaches. This study introduces a method to address the intricacies of design-dependent load-based structures, focusing on three key aspects: (i) managing structures constrained by frequency under fluidic pressure loads dependent on the design, (ii) integrating the use of multiple materials, and (iii) dealing with nearly incompressible materials. The proposed approach, detailed in this paper, employs polytopal composite finite elements (PCEs) to overcome the inherent volumetric locking phenomenon in incompressible materials. By incorporating Darcy’s law and a drainage term alongside the representative-solid phase, this approach ensures consistent treatment of fluidic pressure loads, dynamically adjusting their direction and location during the multi-material design process. The porosity of each element, intricately linked to its density variable through a Heaviside function, facilitates a smooth transition between solid and void phases. The application of Darcy’s law establishes a specific pressure field, solved using PCEs, enabling the computation of consistent nodal loads. This method simplifies the assessment of load sensitivities through the adjoint-variable technique. The method’s effectiveness and reliability are validated through numerical examples, demonstrating its capability to optimize compliance within specific volume constraints for frequency-limited structures subjected to design-dependent pressure loading and considering a diverse range of materials from compressible to nearly incompressible.

Additive manufacturing systems integration

This research explores real-time database systems’ evolution, focusing on unique features and the addressed challenges. It examines the role of multi-material additive manufacturing quality domain databases in innovation and maintaining standards. It also looks at the challenges of implementing quality manufacturing systems from a technology, organization, and people of European Manufacturing research perspective. The study offers a new perspective on reconfigurable intelligent surfaces with multi-material additive manufacturing with system integration, discussing its applications and digital products’ transformative potential. Enhancing multi-material additive manufacturing capabilities redefines the industries, creating a strong communication culture by adopting quality integration of quality and robotics while exploring the future of mathematics complexity in optimizing manufacturing education. The paper also explains the statistical classification of historical technology in manufacturing engineering education by flagging the platform‘s role of opportunities in secure research collaboration. The manufacturing horizontal is essential for effectively managing the multi-material additive manufacturing system through advanced technology to quality management integration. Certified advanced training and competency development econophysics show the multi-material additive manufacturing systems development influence on the production theories and mechanics of complex electronics. To enable, for example, communication links and cellural multi-material additive manufacturing integrations research for new technologies.

Vision-controlled jetting for composite systems and robots

Recreating complex structures and functions of natural organisms in a synthetic form is a long-standing goal for humanity1. The aim is to create actuated systems with high spatial resolutions and complex material arrangements that range from elastic to rigid. Traditional manufacturing processes struggle to fabricate such complex systems2. It remains an open challenge to fabricate functional systems automatically and quickly with a wide range of elastic properties, resolutions, and integrated actuation and sensing channels2,3. We propose an inkjet deposition process called vision-controlled jetting that can create complex systems and robots. Hereby, a scanning system captures the three-dimensional print geometry and enables a digital feedback loop, which eliminates the need for mechanical planarizers. This contactless process allows us to use continuously curing chemistries and, therefore, print a broader range of material families and elastic moduli. The advances in material properties are characterized by standardized tests comparing our printed materials to the state-of-the-art. We directly fabricated a wide range of complex high-resolution composite systems and robots: tendon-driven hands, pneumatically actuated walking manipulators, pumps that mimic a heart and metamaterial structures. Our approach provides an automated, scalable, high-throughput process to manufacture high-resolution, functional multimaterial systems.

Simultaneous multimaterial operando tomography of electrochemical devices.

The performance of electrochemical energy devices, such as fuel cells and batteries, is dictated by intricate physiochemical processes within. To better understand and rationally engineer these processes, we need robust operando characterization tools that detect and distinguish multiple interacting components/interfaces in high contrast. Here, we uniquely combine dual-modality tomography (simultaneous neutron and x-ray tomography) and advanced image processing (iterative reconstruction and metal artifact reduction) for high-contrast multimaterial imaging, with signal and contrast enhancements of up to 10 and 48 times, respectively, compared to conventional single-modality imaging. Targeted development and application of these methods to electrochemical devices allow us to resolve operando distributions of six interacting fuel cell components (including void space) with the highest reported pairwise contrast for simultaneous yet decoupled spatiotemporal characterization of component morphology and hydration. Such high-contrast tomography ushers in key gold standards for operando electrochemical characterization, with broader applicability to numerous multimaterial systems.

A Multi-Material Flame-Retarding System Based on Expandable Graphite for Glass-Fiber-Reinforced PA6.

A synergistic multi-material flame retardant system based on expandable graphite (EG), aluminum diethylphosphinate (AlPi), melamine polyphosphate (MPP), and montmorillonite (MMT) has been studied in glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6). Analytical evaluations and fire performances were evaluated using coupled thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as cone calorimetry, UL-94 fire testing, and limiting oxygen index (LOI). A combination of EG/AlPi/MPP/MMT has been shown to provide superior flame-retarding properties when integrated at 20 wt.% into glass-fiber-reinforced PA6 (25 wt.%), achieving UL-94 V0 classification and an oxygen index of 32%. Strong residue formation resulted in low heat development overall, with a peak heat release rate (pHRR) of 103 kW/m2, a maximum of average heat release rate (MAHRE) of 33 kW/m2, and deficient total smoke production (TSP) of 3.8 m2. Particularly remarkable was the structural stability of the char residue. The char residue could easily withstand an areal weight of 35 g/cm2, showing no visible deformation.

Multimaterial Additively Manufactured Metamaterials Functionalized with Customizable Thermal Expansion in Multiple Directions.

Metamaterials functionalized with customizable multidirectional coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) are urgently needed for advanced shape control or dimensional stability under temperature variations. The currently reported metamaterials still lack the development of diverse base material systems and exploration of the multimaterial fabrication process. Especially, the reported range of customizable CTEs for metamaterials in multiple directions is limited within [-68.1, 56.4] ppm/°C. Here, this work explicitly proposes a strategy for closely linking base materials, additive manufacturing (AM) process, architecture, and CTE tunability, in order to provide a general guideline for the design or customization of such metamaterials. In detail, first, we systematically identify the key process parameters and related performance for additive manufacturing of polymers and propose various multimaterial systems such as polypropylene-polycarbonate (PP-PC). Then, six types of metamaterials have been fabricated with high quality by the established multimaterial additive manufacturing. By measuring the effective CTEs in multiple directions, the CTE tunability of metamaterials, including large positive values (+523.36 ppm/°C) and large negative values (-230.61 ppm/°C), far beyond the literature-reported CTE range, has been experimentally verified. Further, we have developed a bidirectional requirement-solution strategy here that acts as a bridge between design and fabrication. This work opens advanced avenues for metamaterials with multidirectionally customizable and extensive CTE tunability for a variety of engineering applications such as actuators, thermal stress relief, and improved structural stability.

Ambient and high temperature tensile behaviour of DLD-manufactured inconel 625/42C steel joint

In recent years, much attention has been directed towards multi-material systems produced using additive manufacturing technologies. Especially directed energy deposition-based systems provide a powerful tool for relatively simple production of components with controlled chemical composition in certain directions and locations. In this contribution, the potential of bimetallic material manufacturing based on the combination of nickel alloy Inconel 625 and 42C steel using direct laser deposition process was investigated. The monolithic single material blocks as well as graded blocks with alternate material deposition order were produced and investigated via light and scanning electron microscope. In addition, the miniaturized tensile tests at ambient and high temperatures were performed. It was observed that the character of two-material joint changed with the order of deposited materials. Based on the maps of chemical composition, it was shown that joint Inconel 625 to 42C was rather gradual, while 42C to Inconel 625 had sharp distribution of the main elements around the fusion line. The tensile test results demonstrated that the location of preferential failure was the joint itself in the case of gradual interface regardless of the test temperature. On the other hand, the sharp joint failed within Inconel 625 material at room temperature, while at elevated temperature the failure was observed in 42C steel region.

A platform for integrated spectrometers based on solution-processable semiconductors

Acquiring real-time spectral information in point-of-care diagnosis, internet-of-thing, and other lab-on-chip applications require spectrometers with hetero-integration capability and miniaturized feature. Compared to conventional semiconductors integrated by heteroepitaxy, solution-processable semiconductors provide a much-flexible integration platform due to their solution-processability, and, therefore, more suitable for the multi-material integrated system. However, solution-processable semiconductors are usually incompatible with the micro-fabrication processes. This work proposes a facile and universal platform to fabricate integrated spectrometers with semiconductor substitutability by unprecedently involving the conjugated mode of the bound states in the continuum (conjugated-BIC) photonics. Specifically, exploiting the conjugated-BIC photonics, which remains unexplored in conventional lasing studies, renders the broadband photodiodes with ultra-narrowband detection ability, detection wavelength tunability, and on-chip integration ability while ensuring the device performance. Spectrometers based on these ultra-narrowband photodiode arrays exhibit high spectral resolution and wide/tunable spectral bandwidth. The fabrication processes are compatible with solution-processable semiconductors photodiodes like perovskites and quantum dots, which can be potentially extended to conventional semiconductors. Signals from the spectrometers directly constitute the incident spectra without being computation-intensive, latency-sensitive, and error-intolerant. As an example, the integrated spectrometers based on perovskite photodiodes are capable of realizing narrowband/broadband light reconstruction and in-situ hyperspectral imaging.

Optimally Designed Multimaterial Microparticle–Polymer Composite Paints for Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling

Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) devices have enabled subambient cooling of terrestrial objects without any energy input, offering great potential to future clean energy technology. Among various PDRC structures, random dielectric particles in a polymer matrix or paint-like coatings have displayed powerful radiative cooling performances with excellent scalability and easy fabrication. While modeling and analyzing such a system is nontrivial to enhance the cooling effect and engineer the structures to be utilized in various applications, it is essential to understand its complex physical relations and determine the optimal design conditions. In this work, we have thoroughly analyzed the optical properties and radiative cooling performances of PDRC paints composed of two-material particles (SiO2 and Al2O3) using 2D FDTD simulation and investigated the optimal design conditions. Specifically, we have studied the effects of design parameters, such as particle size, size distribution, binder volume ratio, and coating thickness. Subsequently, we have conducted an outdoor cooling measurement of the fabricated PDRC paints to demonstrate their radiative cooling potential and to analyze and understand their performance based on our numerical investigations. The fabricated PDRC paints exhibited high solar reflectance (0.958) and strong long-wave infrared emission (0.937) in the atmospheric transparency window, achieving a maximum temperature drop of 9.1 °C. This comprehensive study provides a detailed characterization of the structure and material parameters of the multimaterial PDRC paint system.

Adaptive visual-tactile fusion recognition for robotic operation of multi-material system.

The use of robots in various industries is evolving from mechanization to intelligence and precision. These systems often comprise parts made of different materials and thus require accurate and comprehensive target identification. While humans perceive the world through a highly diverse perceptual system and can rapidly identify deformable objects through vision and touch to prevent slipping or excessive deformation during grasping, robot recognition technology mainly relies on visual sensors, which lack critical information such as object material, leading to incomplete cognition. Therefore, multimodal information fusion is believed to be key to the development of robot recognition. Firstly, a method of converting tactile sequences to images is proposed to deal with the obstacles of information exchange between different modalities for vision and touch, which overcomes the problems of the noise and instability of tactile data. Subsequently, a visual-tactile fusion network framework based on an adaptive dropout algorithm is constructed, together with an optimal joint mechanism between visual information and tactile information established, to solve the problem of mutual exclusion or unbalanced fusion in traditional fusion methods. Finally, experiments show that the proposed method effectively improves robot recognition ability, and the classification accuracy is as high as 99.3%.

Bio-Inspired Magnetically Controlled Reversibly Actuating Multimaterial Fibers.

Movements in plants, such as the coiling of tendrils in climbing plants, have been studied as inspiration for coiling actuators in robotics. A promising approach to mimic this behavior is the use of multimaterial systems that show different elastic moduli. Here, we report on the development of magnetically controllable/triggerable multimaterial fibers (MMFs) as artificial tendrils, which can reversibly coil and uncoil on stimulation from an alternating magnetic field. These MMFs are based on deformed shape-memory fibers with poly[ethylene-co-(vinyl acetate)] (PEVA) as their core and a silicone-based soft elastomeric magnetic nanocomposite shell. The core fiber provides a temperature-dependent expansion/contraction that propagates the coiling of the MMF, while the shell enables inductive heating to actuate the movements in these MMFs. Composites with mNP weight content ≥ 15 wt% were required to achieve heating suitable to initiate movement. The MMFs coil upon application of the magnetic field, in which a degree of coiling N = 0.8 ± 0.2 was achieved. Cooling upon switching OFF the magnetic field reversed some of the coiling, giving a reversible change in coiling ∆n = 2 ± 0.5. These MMFs allow magnetically controlled remote and reversible actuation in artificial (soft) plant-like tendrils, and are envisioned as fiber actuators in future robotics applications.

Microwave joining of SS-316 plates: A multi-physics simulation study

Microwave hybrid heating has emerged as a new technique for joining metallic materials. The presence of a multi-material system (bulk and powder) and the selection of suitable interface powder in microwave joining offer challenges. The present work addresses these issues for microwave joining of SS-316L plates using different interface powders nickel-based (EWAC 1004 EN) and SS-316L interface powders. A multi-physics model of the microwave joining setup was developed to theoretically study the joining characteristics of SS-316L joints using both powders at 2.45 GHz and 900 W. The SS-316L joints were developed experimentally in 720 s and 680 s while using interface powders EWAC and SS-316L, respectively. The model was validated with experimental results and simulation was performed to analyse the electric field distribution, resistive losses, temperature distribution, thermal stress distributions, and energy utilization. The simulation results showed that the electric field intensity was 4.96 % higher in EWAC-based joint as compared to SS-316L-based joint; consequently, the EWAC-based joint attained a temperature of 1450 °C at the central plane. The resistive loss was found maximum between the susceptor and joint interlayer in both joints. Thermal stress was 62 % higher in EWAC-based joint than SS-316L-based joint. Microstructural investigation of the joints revealed that EWAC-based joints contained columnar and dendritic grain structures; while equiaxed grains were present in SS-316L-based joints. Porosity and grain size were higher by 34 % and 53 %, respectively in EWAC-based joint than SS-316L-based joint.

Modeling diffusion and types I-V sorption of water vapor in heterogeneous systems

A sorption and diffusion model is developed using a mobile-immobile decomposition of the vapor concentration. Henry’s mode represents the mobile species which diffuses through the solid, while Langmuir and pooling modes represent possible immobilization processes that cause nonlinearities in sorption capacity. The model can simulate the five classical sorption types and can incorporate additional dynamics compared to models based on thermodynamic equilibrium. Additionally, the framework allows for discontinuities in material properties encountered in multi-material systems. The resulting non-linear coupled equations are solved by employing a finite element method to discretize in space, and a backward Euler method to discretize in time. The discretized system of equations is solved via a Newton-type iteration scheme at each time-step. Four different materials are parameterized for the model, which are then used in examples to demonstrate the model’s ability to capture complex sorption processes in multi-material systems.

A Novel Algorithm for Fast Measurement of Material Density in Symmetrical Objects Using X-Ray Radiography

AbstractX-ray radiography has proved to be essential in medical imaging and examination of material structures because it is noninvasive and generates images based on well-understood attenuation characteristics of materials. For radiographs of multiple overlapping materials, unraveling the individual attenuation contributions poses a problem that is commonly handled by either taking many radiographs at different object orientations for computed tomography or multiple images with different photon energies for Multiple Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (MEXA). Alternatively, to perform faster measurements, a novel algorithm has been developed to determine multimaterial systems' density. The algorithm can be effectively applied to perform measurements using only one to four radiographs of the object. A case study has been presented for a layered cylindrical object that involved sensitivity studies on image noise, X-ray generator voltage fluctuations, layer thickness measurement perturbations, and X-ray generator photon energy distribution fluctuations using simulated radiographs and density calculations using actual radiographs. The results from the simulated and experimental results were found to agree with actual density values.

Designing an Interchangeable Multi-Material Nozzle System for the Three-Dimensional Bioprinting Process

Abstract Three-dimensional bioprinting is a rapidly growing field attempting to recreate functional tissues for medical and pharmaceutical purposes. Development of functional tissue requires deposition of multiple biomaterials encapsulating multiple cell types, i.e., bio-ink necessitating switching ability between bio-inks. Existing systems use more than one print head to achieve this complex interchangeable deposition, decreasing efficiency, structural integrity, and accuracy. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to develop an alternative deposition system that will not require more than one print head for multimaterial bioprinting. To achieve that objective, we developed a nozzle system capable of switching between multiple bio-inks with continuous deposition, ensuring the minimum transition distance so that precise deposition transitioning can be achieved. This research progressed from a prototyping stage of nozzle system to the final selection of the system. Finally, the effect of rheological properties of different biomaterial compositions on the transition distance is investigated by fabricating the sample scaffolds.

Large twist angle of a novel 3D lattice structure via a tailored buckling mode

A novel 3D centrosymmetric lattice that exhibits a large twist angle during compression is proposed by tailoring the twist buckling mode of a body-centered cubic lattice and a simple cubic truss to the first. The imperfections of offset and multimaterial systems are introduced to control the twist direction. Effects of geometrical parameters and material properties on twist behavior are studied. Results suggest that the buckling-driven lattice configuration can twist at an angle of 100° and an average angle per unit axial strain of 6.7°/%. The novel configurations can be used as force switches, safety devices, and temperature-controlled transmission devices.