Strain-detecting composite materials

US9499882B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA · US

Inventors

• Terryl A. Wallace · Yorktown, US
• Stephen W. Smith · Dhahran, SA
• Robert S. Piascik · Williamsburg, US
• Michael Horne · Hong Kong, CN
• Peter L. Messick · Poquoson, US
• Joel A. Alexa · Hampton, US
• Edward H. Glaessgen · Yorktown, US
• Benjamin T. Hailer · Rome, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 11, 2010
• Grant date: Nov 22, 2016
• Expiry date: Apr 8, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/12132
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A composite material includes a structural material and a shape-memory alloy embedded in the structural material. The shape-memory alloy changes crystallographic phase from austenite to martensite in response to a predefined critical macroscopic average strain of the composite material. In a second embodiment, the composite material includes a plurality of particles of a ferromagnetic shape-memory alloy embedded in the structural material. The ferromagnetic shape-memory alloy changes crystallographic phase from austenite to martensite and changes magnetic phase in response to the predefined critical macroscopic average strain of the composite material. A method of forming a composite material for sensing the predefined critical macroscopic average strain includes providing the shape-memory alloy having an austenite crystallographic phase, changing a size and shape of the shape-memory alloy to thereby form a plurality of particles, and combining the structural material and the particles at a temperature of from about 100-700° C. to form the composite material.