Shape Memory Composites Based on Polymers and Metals for 4D Printing: Processes, Applications and Challenges

Shape Memory Composites Based on Polymers and Metals for 4D Printing is a thorough discussion of the physics and chemistry behind this developing area of materials science. It provides readers with a clear exposition of shape-memory-composite (SMC) preparation techniques for 3D and 4D printing processes and explains how intelligent manufacturing technology may be applied in fields such as robotics, construction, medical science, and smart sensors.

The book covers fundamental background knowledge on the synthesis of shape memory polymers (SMPs) and shape memory alloys (SMAs), and additive manufacturing techniques. Polymers and metals and their roles in 4D printing are dealt with separately, and applications of 4D printing are treated in their own chapter. The different alloy compositions and nanoparticle fillers in polymer composites are examined in detail, along with the key mechanisms involved in their processing. Hybrid nanofillers and synergistic composite mixtures, which are either in extensive current use or have shown promising outcomes in the field of 4D printing, are thoroughly discussed. Differences between these novel SMCs and traditional metal alloys, organic and inorganic composites are presented, and means by which they can improve mechanical properties that are triggered by external sources like magnetic field, temperature, and pH of solvent, are set out.

 This book provides practitioners, industrial researchers, and scholars with a state-of-the-art overview of SMP/SMA synthesis, additive manufacturing, modification in synthesis of SMCs for 4D printing, and their likely future applications.

Dr. Muni Raj Maurya is a Researcher at the Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Qatar. His research interests include investigation of optical properties of semiconductor materials and the development of optically active nanostructures. His current research is focused on nanocomposites fabrication, modifications, designs and their applications especially sensors, photodetectors, wearable devices, 3D-Printing and flexible electronics.

Dr. Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni received his BSc and MSc degrees from Andhra University in 2006 and 2008, respectively and his PhD from the University of South Brittany, in 2012. He currently works at the Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University. Dr. Sadasivuni has published over 200 articles in the international peer-reviewed journals and has edited over nine books. His achievements have been recognized by award, such as Tyre & Rubber Industry Leadership Acknowledgement Awards (TRILA): Young ResearchScholar of the Year 2017. He is also serving as a Managing Editor for the Emergent Materials journal (Springer) lead by Qatar University and Qatar Petroleum Company (QAPCO) and an Editorial Board Member of the Bulletin of Chemical and Pharma Research. He serves as a Guest Editor for Sensors & Transducers journal and a Lead Guest Editor for the International Journal of Materials Science and Applications

Dr. John-John Cabibihan received the Ph.D. degree in bioengineering, with a specialization in biorobotics, from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy, in 2007. From 2008 to 2013, he was an Assistant Professor with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, National University of Singapore. He is currently an Associate Professor with the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Qatar University. Dr. Cabibihan is an inventor in 18 patent families and has over 150 peer-reviewed publications. He is an Associate Editor/Editorial Board Member of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems, and SN Applied Sciences journal.

Shahzada Ahmad is a Professor at the Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures (BCMaterials), University of Basque country, Spain. His research spans across the fields of physical chemistry, and materials science with a view to developing advanced materials for energy applications. He is an elected fellow of the European Academies and strong advocate for renewable energy.

Samrana Kazim is a Senior Researcher at the Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures (BCMaterials), University of Basque Country, Spain. Her current research is focused on Designing, and characterization of nanostructured materials, hybrid inorganic-organic solar cells, and charge transport properties of organic semiconductor.