Modeling circular shear in shape memory polymers with triple shape effect subjected to crystallization under constant shear

The capacity of a material to sense its environment and to change its shape on demand in a predefined way has tremendous technological significance for a wide variety of application areas. Shape memory polymers (SMPs) belong to this category of smart materials as they have the ability to undergo a shape change in a predetermined manner under the influence of an external stimulus. SMPs can recover their permanent shape after undergoing large deformation to a temporary shape on exposure to external triggers such as light, PH values and heat. Thermally induced SMPs are first generation SMPs and have been widely recognized. Crystallizable SMPs are a class of thermally induced SMPs whose temporary shape is due to formation of crystalline phases, and they will revert back to their permanent shape when the crystallization phase is melted through heating. Traditional crystallizable SMPs can only perform dual-shape memory cycles and this limits applications of crystallizable SMPs. Recently SMPs with triple shape effect have been reported that can switch from a second temporary shape to the first temporary shape and from there to the permanent shape under stimulation by heat. Our research focuses on modeling the mechanical behavior of these SMPs with triple-shape effect. The framework used in developing the model is built upon the theory of multiple natural configurations [3]. In order to model the mechanics associated with these polymers different stages of the shape fixation and recovery cycle and different phases of the material during this cycle need to be characterized. This includes developing a model for the amorphous phase and the subsequent semi-crystalline phases with different stress free states and melting of these phases. The model subsequently has been used to simulate results for a typical deformation cycle involving circular shear.