Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 25, 2025
09:37
Fabrication of a Bioactive, PCL-based "Self-fitting" Shape Memory Polymer Scaffold
Published on: October 23, 2015
13.2K
Thermoresponsive Shape Memory Fibers for Compression Garments
Robert Tonndorf1, Dilbar Aibibu1, Chokri Cherif1
1Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
Polymers
|December 18, 2020
Summary
Shape memory polymers (SMP) show potential for compression garments due to their deformability. A blend of polycaprolactone (PCL) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) exhibited excellent shape memory effect (SME) properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Shape memory polymers (SMP) possess highly deformable properties, making them suitable for advanced applications like compression garments.
- The shape memory effect (SME) is a phenomenon where a material can return to its original shape after deformation, often triggered by a specific stimulus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of shape memory polymers (SMP) for developing novel compression garments.
- To explore the shape memory effect (SME) in combined polymer systems and optimize their performance.
Main Methods:
- Polycaprolactone (PCL) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were melt spun into various arrangements: blend, core-sheath, and island-in-sea.
- The SME of the resulting yarns was evaluated after triggering at 50 °C.
Main Results:
- The blend arrangement of PCL and TPU exhibited the most significant SME.
- The blend yarn demonstrated a strain fixation of 62%, a strain recovery of 99%, and a recovery stress of 2.7 MPa at 50 °C.
Conclusions:
- The PCL/TPU blend yarn shows exceptional promise for applications requiring significant deformation and recovery, such as in compression garments.
- Optimized polymer blends can be effectively utilized to achieve desired shape memory properties for functional textiles.
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