Cross-linked ethylene-vinyl acetate – poly(urethane) temperature-memory composite actuator

Abstract

Semicrystalline polymeric systems are a type of Shape Memory Polymer (SMP), which are more straightforward to synthesize in comparison with other class of stimulus-responsive polymers. On these systems, the shape memory is triggered by temperature and partially driven by crystallization-induced elongation, heating-induced contraction, and elastic entropy. However, a stable temporary and permanent shape through cycling is not easy to achieve. For that reason, a laminar composite made based in the encapsulation of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) inside a PU matrix was developed, with the aim of obtaining an actuator with a preferred deformation direction and stable change of shape. In this study, chemically cross-linked ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (cEVA) as SMP was synthesized and functionalized as a reinforcing strip. A temperature-memory actuator composite was manufactured by the encapsulation of a shape memory programmed strip in an elastomer matrix. The shape memory properties and thermocycling assessment were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. Results show the ability of the actuator to bend and unbend, following multiple consecutive heating-cooling cycles. The relationship between the strip, the matrix, and the interface is critical in the bending and shape memory maintenance.