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Smart Materials: Emerging Markets for Intelligent Gels; Ceramics; Alloys; and Polymers. 2nd Edition. Part 2. (Technical Insights)
Frost & Sullivan, Oct 2002
Smart Materials Promise to Boost Revenues and Profits
Business and technical communities are recognizing smart materials as a promising way to boost revenues and profits. They add significant value to materials, technologies and end products and offer considerable short-term business potential across a range of markets from medical devices to automobiles. Materials such as smart memory polymers (SMPs) are capable of stretching to eight times their original length. Such an elastic material might replace natural rubber and synthetic elastomers, which are both expensive and difficult to recycle. Nanotubes have the ability to absorb great strain. In experiments, a triangular pack of single-walled nanotubes has endured 100 times that of steel at one-sixth its weight.
Smart Materials Applications Are Many and Potentially Lucrative
Smart materials lend themselves to an abundance of uses. Markets and technologies for smart materials are young and remain largely unexplored, and there are only a few marketable products. However, researchers are constantly finding combinations of technologies to increase avenues for commercialization.
The existing applications are numerous and diverse. Examples include cardiovascular stents, electrochromatic ski goggles and night vision goggles, sensors for smart missiles, self-dimmable automotive sunroofs, and flat panel information displays for use in computers, televisions, telephones, and other electronic instruments.
Dont be Broadsided, Track This Emerging Technology
Some scientists predict that within a few decades, smart actuators will be embedded into house walls or the interiors of car to achieve built-in surround sound from ultra-high-fidelity stereo speakers. These actuators could expand and contract in thousandths of a second to applied voltage. Other future applications for such smart materials include actuators that control chatter in precision machine tools; improved robotic parts that move faster and with greater accuracy; smaller microelectronic circuits in machines ranging from computers to photolithography printers; and sensors that monitor the structural integrity of bridges and buildings.
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