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Advances in Shape Memory Polymers: Preparation, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 644

Special Issue Editors

Department of Astronautical Science and Mechanics, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), P.O. Box 301, No. 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: smart materials and structures; 4D printing; mechanical metamaterials; continuous carbon fiber 3D printing/4D printing deformable structure; flexible electronics; friction nanogenerator; implantable biomedical devices (bone tissue scaffold, tracheal stent, etc.)
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Guest Editor
School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: smart materials; 4D printing; shape memory polymers; composite mechanics; mechanical metamaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) and their composites are a kind of intelligent material that can switch between a temporary shape and the initial shape under corresponding external stimuli. Due to their light weight, large deformation, controllable performance, and other advantages, basic frontier research and potential application developments related to them have always been the focus of researchers. These materials can undergo controlled changes in their properties, enabling innovative applications across various fields. Adaptive systems based on shape memory polymers for energy absorption, vibration control, and reconfigurable structures can respond to external cues. These advancements have significant implications for a wide range of applications, including in the aerospace, automotive, biomedical device, and robotics industries. In this Special Issue, we invite submissions exploring cutting-edge research and recent advances in the field of smart materials. Both theoretical and experimental studies are welcome, as well as comprehensive reviews and survey papers. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Synthesizing and curing kinetics of SMPs and SMPCs;

Multifunctional SMPs and nanocomposites;

Multi-stimuli-triggered SMPs and SMPCs;

Remotely and sequentially controlled SMPs and SMPCs;

Self-healing SMPs and SMPCs;

Four-dimensional printing of SMPs and SMPCs;

Biomedical applications;

Aerospace and space applications;

Civil infrastructure applications;

Textile applications.

Dr. Wei Zhao
Dr. Chengjun Zeng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • shape memory polymers
  • intelligent materials
  • four-dimensional printing

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 3980 KB  
Article
Four-Dimensional-Printed Woven Metamaterials for Vibration Reduction and Energy Absorption in Aircraft Landing Gear
by Xiong Wang, Changliang Lin, Liang Li, Yang Lu, Xizhe Zhu and Wenjie Wang
Materials 2025, 18(14), 3371; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18143371 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 514
Abstract
Addressing the urgent need for lightweight and reusable energy-absorbing materials in aviation impact resistance, this study introduces an innovative multi-directional braided metamaterial design enabled by 4D printing technology. This approach overcomes the dual challenges of intricate manufacturing processes and the limited functionality inherent [...] Read more.
Addressing the urgent need for lightweight and reusable energy-absorbing materials in aviation impact resistance, this study introduces an innovative multi-directional braided metamaterial design enabled by 4D printing technology. This approach overcomes the dual challenges of intricate manufacturing processes and the limited functionality inherent to traditional textile preforms. Six distinct braided structural units (types 1–6) were devised based on periodic trigonometric functions (Y = A sin(12πX)), and integrated with shape memory polylactic acid (SMP-PLA), thereby achieving a synergistic combination of topological architecture and adaptive response characteristics. Compression tests reveal that reducing strip density to 50–25% (as in types 1–3) markedly enhances energy absorption performance, achieving a maximum specific energy absorption of 3.3 J/g. Three-point bending tests further demonstrate that the yarn amplitude parameter A is inversely correlated with load-bearing capacity; for instance, the type 1 structure (A = 3) withstands a maximum load stress of 8 MPa, representing a 100% increase compared to the type 2 structure (A = 4.5). A multi-branch viscoelastic constitutive model elucidates the temperature-dependent stress relaxation behavior during the glass–rubber phase transition and clarifies the relaxation time conversion mechanism governed by the Williams–Landel–Ferry (WLF) and Arrhenius equations. Experimental results further confirm the shape memory effect, with the type 3 structure fully recovering its original shape within 3 s under thermal stimulation at 80 °C, thus addressing the non-reusability issue of conventional energy-absorbing structures. This work establishes a new paradigm for the design of impact-resistant aviation components, particularly in the context of anti-collision structures and reusable energy absorption systems for eVTOL aircraft. Future research should further investigate the regulation of multi-stimulus response behaviors and microstructural optimization to advance the engineering application of smart textile metamaterials in aviation protection systems. Full article
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