Shape memory polyimide (SMPI) is one of the most promising intelligent materials and has a high potential for deformable flexible electrodes, intelligent thermal management devices, and high temperature active deployable structures, etc. In this paper, silane-modified AlN nanoparticles (M-AlN) are composited with SMPI matrix resin to prepare fast-response high-Tg shape memory composites. Besides, nano-sized AlN and micron-sized Al2O3 are used to construct micro-nano synergistic thermal conduction networks, in which the AlN acted as the thermal conduction island, and the Al2O3 acted as the thermal conduction bridge. The results show that the in-plane thermal conductivity of Al2O3/M-AlN/M-SMPI-2 is 5.99 W m- 1K-1, compared with SMPI, its thermal conduc-tivity increases by 91%. In addition, the shape transition temperature of Al2O3/M-AlN/M-SMPI-2 was higher than that of pure SMPI, which was at 426 degrees C, and the thermal response shape recovery speed is also greatly improved by 433%, which can be used in rapid-actuating and high temperature active deformation structure.

COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY   Volume 239, 7 July 2023, 110052

Wang, Xiaofei; He, Yang; Xiao, Xinli; Leng, Jinsong

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2023.110052

Rapid-actuating high-Tg shape memory polyimide composites with  synergistic “micro-nano” thermal conduction networks.pdf