ABSTRACT
This chapter presents formalized definition and paradigm for multifunctional structures and materials with respect to hardware system design. Multifunctionality is the impartation of one or more necessary system functions to components of a system that are typically only passive mechanical structures. Much work still needs to be done in realizing multifunctional structures. Perhaps current R&D thrusts indicate a developing common palette of supporting materials for multifunctional materials. A common multifunctional material intersection that can be noticed between nature's indication and current R&D indications is possibly carbon. It is interesting to note that publications whose direct topic is "self-healing" do not make a deliberate connection to multifunctional structures. Carbon seems to be a jack-of-all-trades material that may be a foundational enabler to a structurally and functionally intracompatible common palette of materials from which all multifunctional structures are made. The common palette of materials uses a high-temperature thermoplastic backbone with electrically conductive properties enabled by carbon nanomaterials.
