Thermally activated shape memory polymers are an emerging class of active materials that respond to a specific temperature event  by deforming to generate a shape change.  We seek to develop experimental and modeling tools to investigate the underlying thermo-mechanical mechanisms of shape storage and recovery. 

Finite deformation thermoviscoelastic model incorporating structural and stress relaxation mechanisms1

Constitutive Modeling

Finite element modeling of shape recovery

Effects of heat transfer on strain recovery

Shape memory behavior of SMP stent

PUBLICATIONS

Nguyen, T. D., Qi, H. J., Castro, F., Long, K. N. (2008) “A Thermoviscoelastic Model for Amorphous ShapeMemory Polymers: Incorporating Structural and Stress Relaxation”, Journal of Physics and Mechanics of Solids, in press, doi:10.1016/j.jmps.2008.04.007. 

Qi, H. J., Nguyen, T. D., Castro, F., Yakacki, C., Shandas, R., (2008) “Finite Deformation Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Thermally Induced Shape Memory Polymers”,  Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 56, pp. 1730-1751.