Processing and Characterization of Shape Memory Polymer Nanocomposites (Preprint)

This report was developed under a SBIR contract. Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. CRG has demonstrated the feasibility of adding nanoparticulates into their shape memory polymer SMP resin systems. Under thermal or other stimuli, SMPs can exhibit a radical change from a rigid polymer to a flexible, elastic state, and then back to a rigid state again. Nanoparticles, including carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes, are expected to increase material properties such as electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties. CRG has demonstrated this on a lab-scale. For end use purposes, these results must be transitioned to large-scale manufacturing. This paper will discuss the process of transitioning SMP nanocomposites from lab-scale to large-scale production. In order to verify the properties after scale-up, the scaled-up samples of various percent loading of nanoparticles will undergo thorough testing to include, but not be limited to, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and dispersion study in the resin using a scanning electron microscope SEM.