Preliminary studies on the suitability of PETG for 4D printing applications

Abstract

Shape memory polymers represent a class of polymers that can recover its original shape under stimulus. This paper presents the preliminary results of a broader research programme that investigates the potential use of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), a glycol modified version of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), for the fabrication of smart bone tissue engineering scaffolds. PETG. A full characterization analysis is carried out, including chemical analysis, mechanical analysis and shape recovery characteristics. Chemical analysis show the presence of terephthalic acid (TPA), ethylene glycol (EG) and cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) in the polymer structure. Mechanical analysis, considering a quasistatic tensile test, shows that PETG presents better than PET. Shape recovery is assessed using a cyclic thermomechanical experiment where stress and temperature are controlled during the programming and recovery phases and demonstrates that PETG is able to change and recover its initial shape.