Numerical study of smart honeycomb core using shape memory polymers

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) attract widespread attention because they are able to maintain a temporary deformation after unloading and recover the initial shape under high temperature conditions. Based on a three-dimensionally constitutive equation of SMPs, a finite element program is followed by compiling user-defined material subroutine, which describes the shape memory behavior of thermo-mechanical experiment. A honeycomb core using SMP is designed, which has the ability to recover the initial shape after deformation and be used as a smart core for sandwich structures. To prove their advantages in the engineering application, a series of thermodynamic behaviors of the SMP honeycomb core are simulated, including loading at high temperature, cooling, unloading at the low temperature, and recovering original shape on heating. Shape memory behaviors of tensile, compressive, bending, and locally sunken deformations are demonstrated and the effect of time and temperature on the recovery process is discussed.