Injection molded mechanoluminescent polymer composites

Abstract The aim of this study is to demonstrate the fabrication process of mechanoluminescent (ML) composites. As an ML component, ZnS:Cu was employed in the composite. ML powders embedded thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites were prepared using injection molding. A wheel was considered as a final target application of the composite material. The manufacturing process and resulting mechanical behavior of the wheel were modeled numerically. The morphological, rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties of the composites were analyzed experimentally. As the particle content and mechanical stimulus imposed on the specimen increased, the induced ML was enhanced significantly. We showed the possibility of applying ML particles embedded composites to real engineering products.