Woodhead Publishing Advances in Shape Memory Polymers (Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles)

Shape-memory materials are immensely useful because of their capability to recover their original shapes upon exposure to an external stimulus such as heat, moisture, light or a magnetic field. This book reviews key recent research in shape-memory polymers, their properties and applications. Topics include the relationship between morphological structures and shape memory properties; high performance Tg and Tm type shape memory polymers; structures of shape memory polymers with supramolecular switches; and the thermally-active and moisture-active shape memory effect of supermolecular shape memory polymers. Key Features: reviews key recent research in shape-memory polymers, their properties and applications; opening chapters address the relationship between morphological structures and shape memory properties and high performance Tg and Tm type shape memory polymers; chapters cover thermally-active and moisture-active shape memory effect of supermolecular shape memory polymers, among other topics. Contents: Introduction to shape memory polymers; Tm type shape memory polymers; Tg type shape memory polymers; High performance type shape memory polymers prepared by modified two-step polymerization; Supramolecular shape memory polymers; Supramolecular shape memory polymers containing pyridine; Thermally-induced properties of supramolecular shape memory polymers containing pyridine; Moisture-induced properties of supramolecular shape memory polymers containing pyridine; Shape memory polymers with novel functions: Electro-active, magnetically-active, light-adaptive and phase change materials; Shape memory finishing treatments for smart textiles; Manufacture of Tg and Tm shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) polymers; Future developments in shape memory polymers.