Study of Temperature Variation over Shape Memory Polymer Hybrid Composite under Transverse Loading

Abstract

The chapter presents a nonlinear bending analysis of layered shape memory polymer composite beams under the influence of uniformly distributed transverse load. Simplified Co continuity Finite Element Method based on Higher Order Shear Deformation Theory has been adopted for bending analysis of shape memory polymer composite (SMPC) and shape memory polymer nanocomposite sandwich (SMPNCS) beam. The numerical solutions are obtained by the iterative Newton-Raphson method with Von-Karman nonlinear kinematics. Material properties of SMPC with shape memory polymer (SMP) as matrix and carbon fiber as reinforcements have been calculated by the theory of volume averaging. The effect of temperature on SMP, SMPC, SMP hybrid composite, and SMPNCS has been evaluated for various parameters such as aspect ratio, number of layers, boundary conditions, the volume fraction of carbon fiber, and laminate stacking orientation. The present study provides a detailed explanation of the influence of various parameters on the bending of SMPC and hybrid beam for large strain over a wide range of temperatures, which encompasses the glass transition region (Tg) of SMP. The deflection of the beam over this range of temperature indicates the elastic behavior of SMPC before and after its glass transition region due to constant modulus.