Semicrystalline Shape‐Memory Elastomers: Effects of Molecular Weight, Architecture, and Thermomechanical Path
[2];
[3]
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Rochester 4310 Wegmans Hall Rochester NY 14627 USA
- Fiber and Polymer Science North Carolina State University Raleigh NC 27695 USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Rochester 4310 Wegmans Hall Rochester NY 14627 USA, Laboratory of Laser Energetics University of Rochester Rochester NY 14623‐1212 USA
Abstract Poly(caprolactone) networks are well‐studied shape‐memory polymers owing to their high fixity and recovery, their ability to store large amounts of elastic energy, and their tunable shape‐triggering temperature. To elucidate the influence of network structure on shape‐memory features, poly(caprolactone) networks are prepared by reacting different molecular weight diacrylate prepolymers with trifunctional (trimethylolpropane tris(3‐mercaptopropionate), 3T ) or tetrafunctional (pentaerythritol tetrakis(3‐mercaptopropionate), 4T ) crosslinkers. Networks from 4T crosslinkers generally exhibit higher gel fractions, more elastically active strands, and superior shape‐memory properties compared with networks from 3T . Melted elastomers exhibit stress–strain behavior well described by the neo‐Hookean model. How the state of crystallization during the cold‐drawing process has a large effect on the draw stress, the network's shape fixity, and its elastic storage capacity is shown. Finally, the working strain range of networks is evaluated. Cured elastomers prepared from prepolymers with different molecular weights can store and release large amounts of elastic energy (>2 MJ m −3 ), over different ranges of tensile strain.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- DE‐FC52‐08NA28302
- OSTI ID:
- 1409446
- Journal Information:
- Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, Journal Name: Macromolecular Materials and Engineering Vol. 302 Journal Issue: 12; ISSN 1438-7492
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- Germany
- Language:
- English
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