Effect of reinforcing layer on shape fixity and time-dependent deployment in shape-memory polymer textile composites

The purpose of the present study is to model shape fixity and time-dependent deployment in shape-memory polymer composites (SMPCs) and to evaluate the effect of textiles’ tensile and bending moduli on these properties. We constructed an SMPC model by combining SMP layers and a reinforcing layer. We also considered the thermo-viscoelasticity of SMP and the difference in values between the tensile and bending moduli of the reinforcing layer. Employing this model, we simulated deployment under pure bending conditions. Comparison with experimental results confirmed that our proposed model is able to simulate shape fixity and time-dependent deployment in SMPCs. We also confirmed that the bending modulus is an important factor for shape fixity and time-dependent deployment, whereas the tensile modulus has nothing to do with these properties.