Science Daily  April 17, 2018
A team of researchers in the US (ARL, University of Maryland) attached ultraviolet light reactive molecules to reinforcing agents, like carbon nanotubes, and embedded them in a polymer. When exposed to ultraviolet light, a chemical reaction occurs such that the interaction between the reinforcing agents and the polymer increases, making the material stiffer and stronger. In their experiment the materials became 93-percent stiffer and 35-percent stronger after a five-minute exposure to ultraviolet light. Applications include remote shaping of structural materials, adaptive soft robotics, and tunable intrinsic material damping… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Army researchers imagine a rotorcraft concept, which represents reactive reinforcements that when exposed to ultraviolet light will increase the mechanical behavior on-demand. Credit: US Army illustration