Thermomechanical characterization of environmentally conditioned shape memory polymer using nanoindentation

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are an emerging class of active polymers that have dual-shape capability, and are therefore candidate materials for multifunctional reconfigurable structures (i.e., morphing structures). However, the SMPs have not been fully tested to work in relevant environments (variable activation temperature, fuel and water swell, UV radiation, etc.) required for Air Force missions. In this study, epoxy-based SMPs were conditioned separately in simulated service environments designed to be reflective of anticipated performance requirements, namely, (1) exposure to UV radiation for 125 cycles, (2) immersion in jet-oil at ambient temperature, (3) immersion in jet-oil at 49°C, and (4) immersion in water at 49°C. The novel high-temperature indentation method was used to evaluate the mechanical properties and shape recovery ability of the conditioned SMPs. Results show that environmentally conditioned SMPs exhibit higher moduli in comparison to an unconditioned one. During free recovery, the indentation impressions of all SMPs disappeared as temperature reached above T_g, indicating that the material's ability to regain shape remains relatively unchanged with conditioning.