Emerging3.3
Amending Fatigue Damage Using Shape Memory Alloy Self-Healing (SMASH) Technology

Wednesday, June 18, 2014: 9:30 AM
Sun 2/3 (Gaylord Palms Resort )
Mr. Oscar Figueroa , University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Mr. Glenn Bean , University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Ms. Maria Wright , NASA Kennedy Space Center, Kennedy, FL
Dr. Terryl A Wallace , NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
Dr. John A. Newman , NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
Prof. Michele V. Manuel , University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Fatigue is a primary failure mechanism in aerospace structures, and the ability to prevent or repair fatigue damage is crucial. A self-repairing metal matrix composite system has been designed and developed as a means to prevent part failure due to fatigue. The composite uses a liquid-assisted healing theory in conjunction with the shape memory effect of wire reinforcements. Thermodynamic based design parameters were employed in making the self-healing material to have a matrix with a relatively even dispersion of a low-melting eutectic phase.  Nickel-Titanium shape memory alloy (SMA) wire augmentations were used within the composite to provide crack closure, whereby upon crack initiation, the crack front could be repaired at a pre-determined and tunable temperature.  Research was focused on fatigue cracks propagating through the matrix in order to show a proof-of-concept Shape Memory Alloy Self-Healing (SMASH) technology for aeronautical applications. Fatigue and self-healing properties were studied in both the matrix, as well as the full metal composite system.  This work is supported by NASA NNX13AR53A.
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