Systematic analysis of the effects of moulding conditions on the properties of shape memory polymers

Shape memory polymers (SMP) demonstrate a unique ability to recover to their original shape upon application of the external stimulus after being deformed and fixed into a temporary shape. The SMP part can be produced by injection moulding process but limited work has been done to understand the effects of moulding conditions on the shape memory effect. The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of selected moulding parameters on the shape memory effect (SME). Three moulding process parameters - injection speed, packing pressure and mould temperature were differentiated in order to produce the test parts. The samples were subjected to thermomechanical experiments and their shape before and after the experiments were analysed along with the overall quality of the parts. The results from these analyses are presented in the paper.