Truly multifunctional composites materials

Coupling electrochemistry and mechanics is the starting point of this project.

Carbon fibre can electrochemically insert alkali ions like lithium, and can together with a counter electrode and a solid ion conducting polymer electrolyte form a high-performance solid-state composite material that can also store energy.

Carbon fibres expand when inserted with ion making it possible use electrochemistry to create a material that can change shape with electrical control.

Carbon fibres become piezo-electrochemical (a mechano-electrochemical coupling effect) that can be used for strain sensing.

Combining these effects will enable making carbon fibre composite laminates that can convert mechanical work into electrical power – an energy harvester. It thus seems possible to make a single material entity that can perform five different functions at the same time.

In this project we will study all these effects, enhance the performance through clever designs, test and compare the response and performance with analytical and numerical models.

The project activities are planned over 4-years starting 2025, and we will recruit one Ph.D. student to perform the work.

The multi-disciplinary nature of this project requires close collaboration between research fields and Dan Zenkert, Lightweight Structures, and Göran Lindbergh, Applied Electrochemistry, and will jointly supervise the Ph.D.-student.