Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the Deformation Behavior of Adaptive Fiber-Rubber Composites with Integrated Shape Memory Alloys

Fiber-reinforced rubber composites with integrated shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires present a promising approach for the creation of soft and highly elastic structures with adaptive functionalities for usage in aerospace, robotic, or biomedical applications. In this work, the flat-knitting technology is used to develop glass-fiber-reinforced fabrics with tailored properties designed for active bending deformations. During the knitting process, the SMA wires are integrated into the textile and positioned with respect to their actuation task. Then, the fabrics are infiltrated with liquid silicone, thus creating actively deformable composites. For dimensioning such structures, a comprehensive understanding of the interactions of all components is required. Therefore, a simulation model is developed that captures the properties of the rubber matrix, fiber reinforcement, and the SMA actuators and that is capable of simulating the active bending deformations of the specimens. After model calibration with experimental four-point-bending data, the SMA-driven bending deformation is simulated. The model is validated with activation experiments of the actively deformable specimens. The simulation results show good agreement with the experimental tests, thus enabling further investigations into the deformation mechanisms of actively deformable fiber-reinforced rubbers.

Carbon Black Replacement in Natural Rubber Composites Using Dry-Milled Calcium Carbonate, Soy Protein, and Biochar

Recent discoveries have shown that calcium carbonate and soy protein interactions can be used to reinforce rubber composites with improvements on the effective crosslink density and moduli. However, the method to incorporate the soy protein into the rubber matrix may be costly to scale up, since it involves microfluidization and drying steps prior to rubber compounding. In this work, a simpler process involving dry-milled calcium carbonate and soy protein was used to explore filler blends of calcium carbonate, soy protein, biochar, and carbon black. By blending these filler materials in various ratios, rubber composite samples with 40–50% of the carbon black replaced by sustainable alternatives were made. These composites had essentially the same tensile strength, with better toughness and elongation properties relative to the carbon black control. These composites would reduce dependence on petroleum and be more amenable to the rubber composite compounding infrastructure.