Reinforcement in the mechanical properties of shape memory liquid crystalline epoxy composites.

ABSTRACT In this work, novel thermoresponsive shape memory composites based on glass fiber and nanosilica-modified liquid crystalline epoxies (LCEs) with lateral substituent were prepared and characterized. According to the comprehensive analysis of polarized optical microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements, and tan δ data, the orientation of mesogen units were hindered by the introduction of nanosilica and lateral substituents of liquid crystalline epoxies, so that additional physical cross-links except for similar chemical cross-links emerged with the introduction of surface-treated nanosilica. And the increased cross-links could enhance the shape memory properties of the composites which could recover to their original state quickly in a time shorter than 30 s with high shape fixing ratios (>96%) and high shape recovery ratios (>98%), which indicated the composites could be applied into self-deployable structural materials. Moreover, the reinforcement in the dynamic storage moduli, tensile modulus, and the tensile strength and shape memory properties indicated that glass fiber and nanosilica-modified shape memory liquid crystalline epoxy composites could be high-performance composites and could be used as new candidates for aerospace smart materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42616. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]