A type of plastic that can be shape-shifted using tempering

Phys.org  February 2, 2024
A team of researchers in the US (University of Chicago, S DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, NIST, NASA Glenn Research Center, Northwestern University) applied concept of pluripotency to adjust the microstructure of a range of materials, including many metals. They achieved through the inclusion of thia-Michael bonds that are relatively weak and capable of reshuffling at lower temperatures compared with the covalent bonds in the polymer. At higher tempering temperatures, the cross-link density of the thia-Michael network decreased, resulting in a lower stiffness of the material, whereas tempering at lower temperatures created a stiffer material. The material exhibited shape memory properties attributed to the dynamic reaction–induced phase separation caused by the change in bound and unbound cross-links… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE   1  ,  2 

Applications from a single feedstock… Credit: SCIENCE, 1 Feb 2024, Vol 383, Issue 6682, pp. 545-551