An enhanced thermo-actuated shape memory polymer composite coupled with elastomer

Abstract

A new enhanced thermo-actuated shape memory polymer (SMP) composite PE-NBR was developed and its properties were compared with traditional SMPs. The numerical simulation and experiment study on packer element were performed by the way of newly developed constitutive model. The functional composite system with shape memory effect is mainly composed of polyolefin acting as shape memory component and particle-filled elastomer acting as modified enhancement component. The PE-NBR system has advantages over traditional SMP with tensile strength of 14.3 MPa, hardness of 71 and shape recovery ratio of 95%. The ratio of polyolefin in the system can be adjusted from 20% to 90% and that of elastomer can be adjusted from 10% to 70%. The constitutive model with rubber plastic blending for PE-NBR system based upon mesomechanics and macroscopic properties of materials is used to meet the numerical study requirements of large-deformation, temperature-dependence and nonlinear composites. The rating pressure of packer element using PE-NBR system is more than 10 MPa and the maximum of contact pressure is obtained in the location which is 60 mm away from the end surface of the element. Key words: shape memory polymer, composite material, mesomechanics, constitutive model, polyolefin, elastomer, packer