Modeling the thermomechanical behaviors of particle reinforced shape memory polymer composites

Shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) possess superior thermomechanical properties while keep good shape memory capabilities, so SMPCs attract great research interest from academia and industry. In the paper, a modified thermoviscoelastic finite deformation constitutive model is developed to investigate the thermomechanical properties and shape recovery behaviors of particle reinforced SMPCs. The model is incorporated with the modified Adam–Gibbs model and the Eyring model to describe the structural relaxation and yielding behaviors. Also, a non-Gaussian chain molecular network model is used to capture the hyperelastic properties in the large deformation situation. Then, the constitutive model is employed to estimate the free recovery behaviors of SMPCs with different particle fractions, and the comparison between the simulation results and the test data shows good agreement. Furthermore, the model is applied to predict the constrained recovery properties and uniaxial tensile stress–strain response of the composites. The thermomechanical model provides an efficient method for designing and optimizing particle reinforced SMPCs.