Experimental Investigation of Thermal Passive-Reactive Sensors Using 4D-Printing and Shape-Memory Biopolymers

The introduction of 4D printing has revolutionized the concept additive manufacturing; it is a promising technology that can bring immense advantages over classical production and manufacturing techniques, such as achieving programmed time-varying structures consequently reducing time costs. rise considered an evolution 3D due to fourth dimension: time. This possible thanks intelligent materials morph into shapes in response environmental stimuli, temperature, humidity, water, light. When appropriately combined, these properties open door numerous applications engineering industry. paper aims provide information on shape-memory effect (SME). To this scope, exploiting already verified methodology available literature, flexural deformation were analyzed, experimentally changing geometric parameters constituting specimens. Experimental data then processed derive equations linking curvature various independent (such temperature time) through quadratic linear combination variables. study contributes better understanding current 4D-printing concepts mathematical characterization SME its dependencies. In SME, complete methodological approach (analytical, experimental, numerical) first step towards design more complex, bio-inspired components could bring, coming years, development passive sensors characterized by exploit wider operating range detect any variation physical quantity.