Investigation of ultraviolet radiation effects on thermomechanical properties and shape memory behaviour of styrene-based shape memory polymers and its composite

In recent years, shape memory polymers (SMP) have been researched extensively for space applications, such as deployable solar panels and antenna reflectors. Space applications cause SMP components to be severely exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light which may results in material degradation which may causes catastrophic failures and costs substantial amount of public money. This paper investigates the effect of UV light exposure on thermomechanical properties and shape memory effect (SME) of the Styrene-based SMP and its Glass fibre shape memory polymer composites (SMPC). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), have been used to investigate the thermomechanical properties, SMEs and thermal stability before and after the UV exposure. Further, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to analyse the after effect of UV exposure on the polymer's chemical structure. Results have revealed that UV exposure had different impacts on the SMP samples. UV exposure have degraded the mechanical properties, lowered the glass transition temperature (Tg), considerably reduced shape recovery rate, and programming and recovery stresses in all samples. However, the exposure had no considerable effect on the fixity ratio and relaxation modulus of the neat SMP sample, and it slightly increased the fixity ratio of the SMPC samples.