A phenomenological formulation for the shape/temperature memory effect in amorphous polymers with multi-stress components

By means of combining the influence of temperature and strain rate, and based on the cooperative Eyring model, a phenomenological formulation for the shape memory effect and temperature memory effect of an amorphous shape memory polymer (SMP) is proposed. The internal stress and stored mechanical energy are correlated to shape/temperature memory behaviours below and above the glass transition temperature. The working mechanism and fundamentals for the chemo-responsive shape memory behaviour in SMPs are further investigated in terms of the activation enthalpy parameter for inductive depression. Simulation using the proposed model is compared with the experimental results reported in the literature. Predictions are also made using the proposed model. This phenomenological framework is expected to provide a powerful tool for investigating the underlying thermomechanics that originate in the movement of cooperative segments and segmental relaxations in SMPs.