3D Shape Memory Alloy Spacer Fabrics

Abstract

The emergence of smart materials is revolutionizing the way we interact with everyday objects by providing additional functionalities to previously conventional devices. As for smart technologies, shape memory alloys (SMA) show significant deformations, large actuation deformations and high energy absorption through thermally dependent solid-state phase transformations. SMA based spacer fabrics have immense potential as energy absorbing structures in areas such as prosthetic socket liners, military backpacks, treatment of pressure ulcers and vehicle seats, but remain limited by obstacles in design and manufacturing. This thesis provides a fundamental understanding of 3D SMA spacer fabrics by investigating the design parameters for their fabrication. The goal of this research is to investigate the impact of textile design (material, geometry and manufacturing) and material effect (superelasticity and shape memory effect) on the mechanical performance of 3D SMA spacer fabrics. Detailed experiments were conducted to analyze the superelasticity and shape memory effect by studying the interactions between different design parameters. We were able to understand the energy absorption through compression in our spacer fabrics. Hence, these fabrics have potential applications in fields of consumer electronics, medicine and sports where energy absorption is key. This research establishes fundamental understanding of SMA monofilaments within spacer architectures and enables us to design, manufacture and characterize 3D SMA spacer fabrics.