Miguel Angel Moreno-Mateos

• PhD
• Postdoctoral Researcher at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute of Applied Mechanics

Large deformations of soft materials are customarily associated with strong constitutive and geometrical nonlinearities that originate new modes of fracture. Some isotropic materials can develop strong fracture anisotropy, which manifests as modifications of the crack path. Sideways cracking occurs when the crack deviates to propagate in the loadin...

Applications of soft materials are customarily linked to complex deformation scenarios and material nonlinearities. In the bioengineering field, soft materials typically mimic the low stiffness of biological matter subjected to extreme deformations. Computational frameworks surge as a versatile tool to assist the design of functional applications....

Large deformations of soft materials are customarily associated with strong constitutive and geometrical nonlinearities that originate new modes of fracture. Some isotropic materials can develop strong fracture anisotropy, which manifests as modifications of the crack path. Sideways cracking occurs when the crack deviates to propagate in the loadin...

Configurational mechanics offers a framework for quantifying the tendency of defects to alter the material configuration. When applied to fracture mechanics, configurational forces can be used to quantify the propensity of cracks to propagate. An alternative, well-established approach involves analytical solutions for crack tip displacement fields....

Soft dielectric elastomers respond to electric stimuli by undergoing large deformations and changes in their material properties. The actuation with deformable electrodes attached to the material originates Coulomb and dipole forces that convert the electric field into a mechanical response. Applications at large deformations can entail crack onset...

Flexoelectric sensors respond with an electric polarization when they are subjected to inhomogeneous deformation. When these are based on polymeric materials, the electro-mechanical coupling relates to the loss of microstructural symmetries of the polar polymer chains. The object of this work is to explore the mechanisms that induce flexoelectricit...

http://hdl.handle.net/10016/37884 (Repository UC3M, e-Archivo). Committee: President: Dr. Ramón Zaera; Secretary: Dr. Abdon Pena-Francesch; Spokesperson: Dr. Laura de Lorenzis. Cum Laude distinction.

Pre-existing flaws in highly stretchable elastomers trigger fracture under large deformations. For multifunctional materials, fracture mechanics may be influenced by additional physical phenomena. This work studies the implications of hard magnetics on the fracture behaviour of ultra-soft magnetorheological elastomers (MREs). We experimentally demo...

We propose a new concept of self-healing soft material that does not require external actuation to heal after rupture. This consists of a sticky and soft elastomeric matrix filled with hard-magnetic particles. When the material breaks into two or more parts and these are approached to each other, the magnetic particles with residual magnetisation i...

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are multifunctional composites that consist of an elastomeric matrix filled with magnetic particles. These materials respond to an external magnetic field by mechanically deforming and/or changing their magnetorheological properties. Such a multi-physical response has made them extraordinary candidates for a wid...

Recent advances in magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) have posed the question on whether the combination of both soft-and hard-magnetic particles may open new routes to design versatile multifunctional actuators. Here, we conceptualise ultra-soft hybrid MREs (≈1-10 kPa stiffness) combining experimental and computational approaches. First, a compr...

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) mechanically respond to external magnetic stimuli by changing their mechanical properties and/or changing their shape. Recent studies have shown the great potential of MREs when manufactured with an extremely soft matrix and soft-magnetic particles. Under the application of an external magnetic field, such MREs...

Biological cells and tissues are continuously subjected to mechanical stress and strain cues from their surrounding substrate. How these forces modulate cell and tissue behavior is a major question in mechanobiology. To conduct studies under controlled varying physiological strain scenarios, a new virtually-assisted experimental system is proposed...

In the last years, big data has been increasing its popularity not only in the academic and industrial fields but also among the general public. In this regard, a bunch of state-of-the-art applications are arising, e.g., autonomous driving, crime forecasting techniques, medical diagnosis and smart cities. All these have a common denominator: handli...

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs), consisting of an elastomeric matrix filled with magnetic particles, are one of the most promising multifunctional composites. The main advantage of these materials is their response to external magnetic fields by mechanically deforming and/or changing their magnetorheological properties. This multi-physical nat...

Magneto-active polymers (MAPs) are revolutionising the fields of material science and solid mechanics as well as having an important presence in the bioengineering community. These composites consist of a polymeric matrix (i.e., elastomer) filled with magnetic particles (i.e., iron particles). When bonded together, these two phases form a continuum...

In the past decades, new technologies that relate to the Internet have been able to reshape the economy completely. Nowadays, blockchain technology is recognized as one of the new technologies with potential for completely transforming sectors such as banking. Nevertheless, the philosophy and basic principles in which the technology is developed ma...

Automation was a milestone in manufacturing during the Third Industrial Revolution, where industrial robots meant the end of a wide variety of routine and monotonous tasks. However, little human-machine interaction was possible. In fact, robots where enclosed within security areas where they could operate preventing any potential human injure and a...