Fabricating dual-responsive shape memory PVA-based composites via reactive melt-mixing by skillfully utilizing excellent flowability and crosslinking heat of polyethylene

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) based dual-stimuli responsive shape memory composites were fabricated via a feasible reactive melt mixing with certain content of polyethylene (PE) and crosslinker dicumyl peroxide (DCP). It is found that PE plays many important roles in this method. Firstly, the melting processability of PVA can be improved markedly by skillfully utilizing the excellent flowability and crosslinking heat of PE. Secondly, the PVA composites achieve excellent water/heat dual-induced shape memory property by utilizing PE as fixing domain and heat responsive switching domain and utilizing PVA as water responsive switching domain meanwhile. The fixing ratio is nearly 100% and recovery ratio can reach 90% for both water and heat responsive shape memory. This artful fabricating method achieved the aim of improving the melting processability of PVA and endowing the composites dual-responsive shape memory property simultaneously only by utilizing PE, which is interesting and promising for the development of PVA in the industry application. It shows considerable prospect for PVA composites and their industry application. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.