JOSE J.

SANCHEZ
Arch 5301 Smart Materials
Fall 2010

Phase 01: Definition and Classification

Assignment 1.1

Extrinsic Properties: are those defined by the macro-structure of

the material. It is a material property depending on the amount or
conditions of material present (ex: density as intrinsic and mass as
extrinsic).
In example of extrinsic properties, optical properties of a material
include reflectivity, transmissivity, and absorptivity. Another extrinsic
property of a material is dependent on characteristics of the energy
fields of their environment.
 REFLECTIVITY

Reflectivity is the amount of thermal radia-

tion reflected from the surface relative to
total incident radiation.

Thermochromic windows is a device that

changes its reflectance and transmission
properties at a specific critical temperature.
At this temperature the material undergoes
a semiconductor to metal transition. At low
temperatures the window will let in all of the
sun’s energy while above the critical tempera-
ture it will reflect the infrared portion of the
sun’s energy.
 TRANSMISSIVITY

Transmissivity is the amount transmitted

through the material relative to the total.
There are several different types of material
families that exhibit different types of light
transmission; absorption or other responses
to a stimulus. These include electrochromism
(a change in color as a function of an elec-
trical field) and thermo- chromism (color
change with heat).
Electrochromic Windows: The action of an
electric field signals the change in the win-
dow's optical and thermal properties. Once
the field is reversed, the process is also re-
versed. The windows only use energy to
change their condition, not to maintain any
particular state.
 ABSORPTIVITY

Absorptivity is a measure of how much

radiation is actually absorbed by a material
relative to the total amount of thermal radia-
tion on its surface. Porous absorbers have
interstitial spaces where viscous flow restric-
tions through the pores reduce sound energy.
Resonant absorbers act as a mass & spring
by absorbing energy & resonating back at a
particular requency.
Acceleration sensors attached to the window
panes measure the vibrations generated by
the noise. A thin chip of piezoelectric mate-
rial also attached to the window counteracts
the vibration by generating an oscillation at
the same pitch but in the opposite sense to
that measured by the sensor. This causes the
pane to move in the opposing direction.