Advanced Materials Series

Self-healing materials are materials designed to automatically repair damage without human intervention. Potentially reducing maintenance and inspection costs while increasing product longevity. Various methods of healing have been developed, many taking inspiration from biological healing processes.

Carbon Nanotubes formed from graphene are stronger, more flexible, and have higher conductivity properties than conventional materials. They have many potential benefits in construction & design.

Metamaterials are artificially structured materials, engineered to manipulate sound, light and other physical phenomena. Metamaterials present many potential applications from antennas to solar panels, with some being more developed than others.

4D printing is the process of giving 3D structures the ability to change shape overtime.

Graphene is an engineered single plane of carbon atoms. They are formed by one atom thick sheets of crystallised carbon arranged in a single sheet hexagonal lattice like a chicken wire structure. Graphene structurally is a single atomic plane of naturally occurring graphite. It has properties such as high tensile strength, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, flexibility and their low mass. 

Additive manufacturing produces objects by printing them one thin layer at a time. It is favoured by designers and engineers for the way it allows complex structures to be produced simply, quickly and cheaply. Among its many applications are producing prototypes, lightweight or customised parts.

Self-cleaning materials are materials that can prevent water, oily substances, debris or bacteria from contaminating their surfaces without human intervention. Most self-cleaning materials exhibit one or more of the following self-cleaning mechanisms; Superhydrophobic, Superhydrophilic, and Photocatalytic. 

Biomimetic materials emulate properties and behaviours found in nature through the design of their microstructures and aim to provide lighter and stronger alternatives to traditional materials.