Design and Processing of Shape Memory Polymer (SMP)/Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Composites

摘要

This research was has been conducted primarily to create a thermo- responsive two-way shape change polymer. Such a material could work as a thermo- responsive actuator, a thermo-responsive valve, a thermo-responsive switch in broad range of engineering field. Two-way shape change materials such as a shape memory alloy (SMA) and a piezoelectric are been already available on the market. However, the existing thermo-responsive two-way shape change materials still has a large room to be improved. Most of them are primarily made from metal and/or ceramics and not from polymer. Polymer has its own intrinsic natures that neither metal nor ceramics has, for example, largely deformity, low mass, electrically insulating. Shape memory polymer (SMP) is made from polymer as its name suggests and it changes its shape by the temperature increase. But cooling the SMP does not restore its shape back to the original shape. It is merely a one-way shape change not two-way. In addition to that, SMP softens significantly in the heated state. Hence, SMP cannot serve as a practical thermo-responsive actuator or so. It can be utilized only for limited engineering purposes. To the best knowledge, there are no practical thermo- responsive two-way shape change polymers. Therefore, creating a thermo- responsive two-way shape change polymer has a significant meaning. The thermo- responsive two-way shape change polymer could broaden usefulness of two-way shape change materials including metal and/or ceramics-based ones. Some successful results were obtained and are reported.