Shape memory epoxy foams by solid-state foaming

Epoxy foams were produced by means of solid-state foaming and their shape memory properties were evaluated together with other physical properties. Solid-state foaming consists of pressing thermosetting resin powders to produce solid tablets, heating the tablets at high temperature to generate both the formation of pores inside the resin and the resin polymerization. A nanoclay was added to the resin powder before pressing it up to a maximum content of 5 wt%. Unfilled and composite foams were characterized by density measurements and thermal analyses. Subsequently, foam samples underwent up to two thermo-mechanical cycles: each cycle consisted of the storage of a compressed shape and the subsequent thermal recovery. Compression tests were used to measure the effect of the thermo-mechanical cycles on the foam's mechanical performances and compressive toughness was extracted from the tests. It was observed that all the foams exhibited good shape memory properties also after cycling: nanoclay filler allows the foams to completely recover the initial shape and to increase the compressive and the specific compressive toughness.