Abstract
A novel shape memory polymer composite was fabricated by introducing various amounts of silicon carbide whiskers (SiCws) into a shape memory epoxy. The relationship between the thermomechanical properties of the system and structural changes were investigated via dynamic mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and bending tests. The results show that the bend strength of composites can improve by 64.1% when SiCw content reaches 12 wt %. The shape transition temperatures of SiCw/epoxy composites decreased slightly with the increase in SiCw content, but it was noted that all of the composites showed excellent shape memory properties. The shape fixity ratio increased as SiCw content increased (>99%), and the shape recovery ratio slightly decreased as SiCw content increased (>95%). All of the composites nearly recovered to their original shape within 2 min (not 100%), and the shape recovery speed significantly improved at a higher temperature. It is anticipated that tagging products will be used in the aerospace industry.
Highlights
Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are stimuli-responsive materials that can assume a temporary shape and recover their original shape when triggered through an external stimulation such as thermal stimulus, electric current, light, magnetic field, moisture, and pH value [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
Though outstanding in some aspects compared with shape memory alloys and shape memory ceremics, SMPs have obvious shortcomings: low mechanical strength and shape recovery stress
The silicon carbide whiskers (SiCws)/hydro-epoxy composites were cut into pieces of 4 × 20 × 20 mm3 and tested with a thermal constant analyzer (Hot-Disk, AB Company, Bern, Switzerland)
Summary
Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are stimuli-responsive materials that can assume a temporary shape and recover their original shape when triggered through an external stimulation such as thermal stimulus, electric current, light, magnetic field, moisture, and pH value [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Compared to shape memory alloys and shape memory ceramics, SMPs have been widely researched due to their facile processability, low cost, appreciable shape recovery, and broad range of shape recovery temperatures [9,10,11,12]. They are ideal candidates for potential applications in intelligent biomedical materials, heat shrinkable packaging, smart textile, aeronautics, astronautics, sensors and actuators, information carriers, disassembly concepts, and supervision technologies for cooling chains [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21]. The additional of carbon black nanoparticles has had a beneficial effect on performance in the two-way
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