Reprogrammable recovery and actuation behaviour of shape-memory polymers

The shape memory cycle can be indefinitely repeated and is limited only by possible degradation of the material.

“The shape memory cycle can be indefinitely repeated and is limited only by the possible degradation of the material”

The one-way SME is non-reversible: after the permanent shape is recovered, the SMP cannot reverse to its temporary shape through cooling, but a new programming step is needed to re-fix the temporary shape.

“the one-way SME is a non-reversible feature: after the permanent shape is recovered, the SMP cannot reverse to its temporary shape through cooling, but a new programming step is needed to re-fix the temporary shape.”

Net-points determine the permanent shape and can be formed by molecular entanglement, a crystalline phase, chemical cross-linking, an interpenetrated network, or a cyclodextrin polymer's inclusion.

“Net-points determine the permanent shape and can be formed by, e.g., molecular entanglement, a crystalline phase, chemical cross-linking, an interpenetrated network, or a cyclodextrin polymer's inclusion”

In strategy (ii), the broad glass/melting transition may be considered a consecutive distribution of a certain number of glass/melting transitions, and recovery of the permanent shape from different temporary shapes is triggered at various temperatures corresponding to the deformation temperatures.

“In case of strategy (ii), the broad glass/melting transition may be considered a consecutive distribution of a certain number of glass/melting transitions, and the recovery process of the permanent shape from the different temporary shapes is triggered at various temperatures, corresponding to the temperatures at which the material is deformed”