Introduction to shape-memory polymers, polymer blends and composites: State of the art, opportunities, new challenges and future outlook

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of shape-memory polymers and their blends and composites. The history of shape-memory polymers, their advantages, shape-memory cycles, classification and the molecular mechanism of the shape-memory effect are briefly discussed. The characterisation techniques such as dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical and polarized optical microscopy (OM and POM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), universal testing machine (UTM), nanoindentation technique, etc., are powerful techniques to investigate the shape-memory mechanism and shape-memory performance. Shape-memory polymers have myriad of potential applications in automobile, sports products and textile, aerospace and medical fields.