Durability and long-term behaviour of shape memory polymers and composites for the space industry - A review of current status and future perspectives

Rapid developments in thermoset and thermoplastic shape memory polymers (SMPs) during the last two decades have increased their engineering applications significantly. For this reason, many researchers have begun evaluating the durability of SMPs and SMP composites (SMPCs) to ensure the sustainability of the applications. This review has thoroughly investigated available research works conducted on the durability of SMPs and SMPCs during the past two decades. Such a thorough investigation had not been conducted to this point. Important time-dependant characteristics of SMPs such as thermal cycles and creep are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the long-term effects of exposure to high-energy electromagnetic waves such as UV and gamma rays as well as high-energy particle interactions such as that of atomic Oxygen, protons and electrons at higher altitudes are reported comprehensively. The long-term behaviour of thermo-mechanical properties and shape memory effects of each SMP are highlighted appropriately in the relevant sections of the article. The authors also highlight gaps in the current knowledge base and suggest recommendations for developing more durable SMP reinforced composites for future uses. For this work, the authors accessed the major material research databases using a few keywords and selected 460 research papers. Later, the search results were filtered to 168 research papers which are discussed in this review.