Read the text and decide whether the statements
are true or false.
Smart materials will shape the future
Buildings that react to weather conditions or mobile phone screens that
repair themselves... These are just some of the possible applications of smart
materials, the latest revolution in the field of materials science.
Smart materials are materials that are manipulated to react in a
controllable way, changing some of their properties as a reaction to, for example,
mechanical stress or temperature. For example, we can talk about sportswear
with ventilation valves that react to temperature: the valves open when the
wearer experiences high temperatures and close when the body cools down.
Nowadays, there are different types of smart materials and new ones
arise every day:
- Shape memory materials
They can change the shape, even returning to their original shape, when
exposed to heat.
- Chromoactive materials
They change colour when exposed to changes in temperature, light,
pressure, etc. Nowadays, they are used in sectors such as optics, among others.
- Photoactive materials
There are several types: electroluminescents glow when they get
electrical impulses, fluorescents reflect light with greater intensity.
- Synthetic spider web
This material is not only five times stronger than steel, but also has
great elasticity. Its potential uses include: bulletproof clothing and artificial
skin.
- Graphene
Its potential uses are almost unlimited: batteries with more autonomy,
cheaper solar cells, faster computers, flexible electronic devices, more
resistant buildings, etc. All this is possible thanks to their multiple
properties.
In addition, there are other materials that have made headlines in
recent years. These include stanene, which could be the super condenser of the
future; silicone, which many compare to graphene; vanadium dioxide, with an
ability to transmit electricity without heat; and self-repairing concrete,
intended to increase the life span of buildings.
One of the areas of research where materials science has advanced most
in recent years is in the development of new materials for use in 3D printing,
which is already used in such sectors as design, medicine, architecture and
food. The most widely used are thermoplastics, especially polylactic acid (PLA)
and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), which are used in mobile phone
casings, toys and car bodies. Smart materials are also starting to be printed
thanks to 4D printers.
1. Smart
materials are the newest invention in materials science.