Among the many functions that can be attained are power transmission, electrical / thermal conductivity, sensing and actuation, energy harvesting/storage, self-healing capability, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and recyclability and biodegradability. See also functionally graded materials which are composite materials where the composition or the microstructure are locally varied so that a certain variation of the local material properties is achieved. However, functionally graded materials can be designed for specific function and applications.