Biomimetics and Composite Materials toward Efficient Mobility: A Review

Abstract

The development of new materials has always been strictly related to the rise of new technologies and progressively efficient systems. However, cutting-edge materials might not be enough to ensure the effectiveness of a given product if the design guidelines used do not favor the specific advantages of this material. Polymeric composites are known for their excellent mechanical properties, but current manufacturing techniques and the relatively narrow expertise in the field amongst engineers impose the challenge to provide the most suitable designs to certain applications. Bio-inspired designs, supported by thousands of years of evolution of nature, have shown to be extremely profitable tools for the design of optimized yet structurally complex shapes in which the tailoring aspect of polymeric composites perfectly fit. Bearing in mind the current but old-fashioned designs of auto-parts and vehicles built with metals with little or no topological optimization, the present work addresses how biomimicry is being applied in the mobility industry nowadays to provide lightweight structures and efficient designs. A general overview of biomimicry is made regarding vehicles, approaching how the use of composite materials has already contributed to successful cases.

Using Thermomechanical Properties to Reassess Particles’ Dispersion in Nanostructured Polymers: Size vs. Content

“…The elastic strain energies of CNTs, however, tend to be affected due to the curvature of the carbon bonds in the tubular shape [ 46 ]. Biomimetic hierarchical composites using fibers and CNTs have also been investigated [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ], with inconclusive results. Aside from the mechanical improvements that this filler confers to composites, it is important to underline their influence over thermal and electrical properties [ 51 ], enabling applications in the fields of nanoelectronic devices, medicine and defense [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”

Nanoimprinting of Biomimetic Nanostructures

“…The use of biomimetics for sensors is discussed in, e.g., [73]. Material design for composite materials [74] or antifouling materials [75] has been discussed as well as its use in additive manufacturing [76]. Many other examples could be mentioned here.…”

Mechanics and electrochemistry in nature-inspired functional batteries: fundamentals, configurations and devices

“…[23][24][25][26] Therefore, it is highly anticipated for intensive design of structures and materials with mechanical properties to develop next-generation smart devices that can adapt or sustain enormous stress and geometric deformations, such as bending, twisting, folding, stretching, etc. 1,25,[27][28][29][30] It is known that organisms have adapted to various environmental stresses and formed unique and excellent mechanical structures through natural selection over the long history of evolution, such as hard bones, strong spider silk, and soft skin (Table 1). So, bionics has emerged as a cutting-edge field of battery science in recent decades by emulating natural phenomena.…”

“…So, bionics has emerged as a cutting-edge field of battery science in recent decades by emulating natural phenomena. 21,[30][31][32][33] The core concept behind the bionics method is to investigate and identify exceptional functional properties of natural materials and evaluate their mechanical structures that contribute to their distinctive mechanical properties and guide researchers to manually create similar structures or materials with similar functions. 10,11,22,[34][35][36][37] As a consequence, much research has focused on the infinitely possible nature aiming at discovering approaches to eliminating constraints on materials and engineering technologies of the forthcoming next-generation smart battery revolution.…”