Magnetic field activation of thermoresponsive shape-memory polymer with embedded micron sized Ni powder

The shape memory polymer (SMP) materials are able to change these shape in response to external stimulus such as stress, temperature, solvent, PH, magnetic, electricity or light. The above-mentioned methods are only to recover initial shape of the deformed SMP, could not give the SMP predeformation. In this paper, magnetic field gives the shape memory polymer composite (SMPC) pre-deformation was studied, through on and off of magnetic field the two-way activation of SMPC was achieved. Shape memory effect of shape memory composite in magnetic field was studied. The SMPC was filled by nickel powder, and the nickel powder was treated by silane coupling agent. The T_g of shape memory composite was measured by dynamic mechanical analyzer. The surface element of treated nickel powder was analysized with XPS. The results indicated that the shape of composite filled by untreated nickel powder did not change in the magnetic field, while the composite filled by treated nickel powder was drawn in the magnetic field. The tensile stretch was decrease with the increase of nickel powder content in the shape memory composite. The addition of silane coupling agent onto nickel powder surface was helpful for the dispersion of nickel in polymer.