Fabricating fast triggered electro-active shape memory graphite/silver nanowires/epoxy resin composite from polymer template

Abstract

In recent years shape-memory polymers have been under intense investigation due to their unique mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties that could potentially make them extremely valuable in numerous engineering applications. In this manuscript, we report a polymer-template-assisted assembly manufacturing strategy used to fabricate graphite/silver nanowires/epoxy resin (PGSE) composite. In the proposed method, the porous polymer foams work as the skeleton by forming three-dimensional graphite structure, whereas the silver nanowires act as the continuous conductive network. Preliminary testing on hybrid foams after vacuum infusion showed high electrical conductivity and excellent thermal stability. Furthermore, the composites were found to recover their original shape within 60 seconds from the application of a 0.8 V mm−1 electric field. Notably, the reported shape-memory polymer composites are manufactured with readily-available raw materials, they are fast to manufacture, and are shape-controlled.

Anisotropic Shape Memory Behaviors of Polylactic Acid/Citric Acid–Bentonite Composite with a Gradient Filler Concentration in Thickness Direction

“…Compared with SMAs, SMPs have received more interest due to the advantages such as low weight, low cost, and easy manufacturing. These materials can be processed to a temporary shape and then restored to their original shape under external stimulation such as heat, , electromagnetism, solvent, − light, etc., and thus are widely used in aerospace, biological medicine, and smart sonar. Thus far, the most extensively investigated SMPs are thermally induced SMPs .…”

Progress in the Applications of Smart Piezoelectric Materials for Medical Devices

“…Certain smart actuators are reported to have the potential to replace a damaged organ in human organisms [ 158 , 159 , 160 , 161 ]. Textile actuators can mimic the motion of the human body [ 162 , 163 , 164 , 165 ], whereas shape-memory polymers (SMP) and shape-memory alloys (SMA) can be activated by stimulation [ 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 , 170 ].…”

4D Printing of Electroactive Triple-Shape Composites

“…Depending on the type, concentration and level of dispersion, these fillers have the capacity to change the mechanical properties of the composites and provide electrically induced remote heating capabilities [ 19 ]. The applicability of electric heating has been investigated for various high-tech applications such as morphing aircraft [ 29 , 30 ], self-deploying structures [ 31 ], and intelligent textiles [ 32 ]. However, most of these studies have focused on dual-shape effect systems, where the SMP composites were electrically triggered to transition from one shape to another [ 28 ].…”