ABSTRACT
Blends ..................................................................................58 2.3.7 Summary ...........................................................................................58
The basic principle of the shape-memory effect in polymers is based on the physical concept of a frozen-in structural order rather than on a speci c chemical interaction. Therefore, the ability to apparently “recall” a primary shape after a signi cant deformation that is entropically trapped to the material is reported to date for a number of different polymer systems and architectural structures. We present the structural requirements and give an overview of the variety of chemical compositions of shape-memory polymers (SMPs).
