Influence of strain rates on the mechanical behaviors of shape memory polymer

In the last few decades, shape memory polymers have demonstrated their major advantages of extremely high recovery strain, low density and low cost. Generally, the mechanical behavior of shape memory polymers is strongly dependent on the loading strain rates. Uniaxial tensile experiments were conducted on one kind of typical shape memory polymer (epoxy) at several different temperatures (348 K, 358 K, 368 K and 378 K) and true strain rates (0.25% s⁻¹, 1.25% s⁻¹ and 2.5% s⁻¹). Thus, the influence of strain rate and temperature on the mechanical behavior of epoxy, in particular on the post yield stresses and the strain hardening behavior, were investigated through this experimental study. Based on our previous work Guo (2014 Smart Mater. Struct. 23 105019), a simplified model which can explain the shape memory effect of epoxy was proposed to predict the strain hardening behavior of the shape memory polymer. Based on the suggestion of Rault (1998 J. Non-Cryst. Solids 235–7 737–41), a linear compensation model was introduced to indicate the change in yield stresses with the increase of strain rate and temperature. Finally, the new model predictions for the true strain and stress behavior of epoxy were compared with the experimental results. (paper)