A hygro-thermo-mechanical constitutive model for hygrothermally activated shape memory polymers under finite deformations

Abstract With regard to the application of shape memory polymers (SMPs) in smart structures, it is difficult to accurately predict their shape memory effects (SMEs) triggered by various external environments. Therefore, developing constitutive models for SMPs in multi-field environments is crucial. In this paper, a hygro-thermo-mechanical finite deformation constitutive model incorporated with structural relaxation and moisture diffusion is proposed for hygrothermally activated amorphous SMPs. One of the main novelties is that for the first time an internal state variable modeling approach is used in the model to describe the structural relaxation of hygrothermally activated SMPs in the vicinity of the glass transition. The other novelty is that the theory of moisture diffusion is applied to split the absorbed moisture into the mobile (free) and bound phases, and their respective effects on the hygro-thermo-mechanical behavior are also considered in the model. Comparisons between the model results and the test data for both, thermally activated and moisture-activated SMEs, present a good agreement.