title: Electron Beam Crosslinked Polyurethane Shape Memory Polymers with Tunable Mechanical Properties.
abstract: Novel electron beam crosslinked polyurethane shape memory polymers with advanced processing capabilities and tunable thermomechanical properties have been synthesized and characterized. We demonstrate the ability to manipulate crosslink density in order to finely tune rubbery modulus, strain capacity, ultimate tensile strength, recovery stress, and glass transition temperature. This objective is accomplished for the first time in a low-molecular-weight polymer system through the precise engineering of thermoplastic resin precursors suitable for mass thermoplastic processing. Neurovascular stent prototypes were fabricated by dip-coating and laser machining to demonstrate processability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hearon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Landon D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Brent L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.affiliation: Physical & Life Sciences Directorate, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lewicki
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
authors.forename: Walter E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Voit
authors.affiliation: Physical & Life Sciences Directorate, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Duncan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maitland
keywords: electron beam curing; polyurethanes; processing; stimuli-sensitive polymers; structure–property relations