Enhancing Shape Recovery and Mechanical Properties of Bisphenol-A-Epoxy-Based Shape Memory Polymer Composites (SMPCs) Using Amine Curing Agent Blends
Garam Do, Sungwoong Choi, Seongeun Jang, Duyoung Choi · MDPI AG · 2026
Blending Bisphenol-A epoxy SMP with amine curing agents and adding carbon fillers improves curing/mechanics and yields faster, stronger shape recovery, with best results at 3 wt% filler.
Plain English summary
Why this matters
Key findings
- Optimal shape recovery characteristics were found at a filler content of 3 wt%.
- Graphite-filled SMPC showed a recovery time of 25 s, reported as a 68.75% improvement over SMP.
- Carbon fibers with improved dispersion produced the highest increases in tensile strength (24.71%) and impact strength (59.36%).
- TGA and DSC were used to analyze thermal stability and curing characteristics for amine curing-agent blends.
Limitations
The abstract does not provide quantitative details on actuation temperature/ΔT, long-term cycling durability, fatigue behavior, or how results generalize beyond the specific filler types and contents tested.
Publication
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Publication date
- January 30, 2026
- Research type
- Paper
- License
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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