Heating Rate Sensitive Multi-Shape Memory Polypropylene: A Predictive Material
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Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Fabrication of a Bioactive, PCL-based "Self-fitting" Shape Memory Polymer Scaffold
Published on: October 23, 2015
Robin Hoeher1, Thomas Raidt1, Frank Katzenberg1
1Biomaterials and Polymer Science, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund , 44221 Dortmund, Germany.
Abstract:
Here we report on a novel type of smart material that is capable of specifically responding to the changing rate of an environmental signal. This is shown on the example of lightly cross-linked syndiotactic polypropylene that reacts to a temperature increase by adapting its shape change according to the applied heating rate. In general, a material with such properties can be used to predict a system failure when used in a defined environment and is therefore called "predictive material".
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