Significant Impact of Thermo-Mechanical Conditions on Polymer Triple-Shape Memory Effect

A polymer triple-shape memory effect represents one of the most recent discoveries in the rapidly expanding field of shape memory polymers. It refers to the capability of a polymer to memorize two temporary shapes and subsequently recover them, all in one shape memory cycle. Although several examples of triple-shape polymers had been reported in the literature, they were notably evaluated under very different thermo-mechanical conditions. In this study, the effect of various thermo-mechanical conditions on the polymer triple-shape properties was investigated using Nafion as a model material. The choice of the programming and recovery heating methods in constructing triple-shape cycles was found to have a profound impact on the triple-shape properties. As such, the results of this study provided useful reference for future development of triple-shape polymers.