A thermo-mechanical constitutive model for triple-shape and two-way shape memory polymers

Abstract Semicrystalline polymers often have diverse molecular configurations in response to the variation of temperature, making it easier to realize multiple or two-way shape memory effects (SMEs). In order to provide guidance for the design of relevant smart structures, it is necessary to develop corresponding constitutive models to better characterize the thermal-mechanical behavior of such shape memory polymers (SMPs). For the first time, a thermo-mechanical finite deformation constitutive model is presented to reveal the deformation mechanism of the triple-shape two-way SME of semicrystalline SMPs in our work, based on the theory of thermodynamics with internal state variables. To verify the validity of the model, the model results are compared with the test data for a typical shape memory cycle. It is found that the model can be employed to describe the non-equilibrium response of semicrystalline SMPs with two types of crystallites in the vicinity of crystallization and melting. Since the model results fit well with the test data, the effectiveness of the model in predicting the triple two-way shape memory behavior is demonstrated.