Reinforcement of Polyurethane-Based Shape Memory Polymer by Hindered Phenol Compounds and Silica Particles

Reinforcement of polyurethane-based shape memory polymer materials was investigated by adding hindered phenol compounds and silica particles. According to dynamic mechanical analysis, these fillers had no effect on the glass transition temperature and the activation energy of soft segments, indicating that the fillers have no ability to influence the molecular mobility stress was increased primarily by addition of the hindered phenols rather than the silica particles, whereas Young's modulus was enhanced by the silica particles rather than the hindered phenols. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 1695-1702, 2010