Shape memory polymers (SMPs) with intelligent deformability have shown great potential in the field of aerospace, and the research on their adaptability to space environments has far-reaching significance. Chemically cross-linked cyanate-based SMPs (SMCR) with excellent resistance to vacuum thermal cycling were obtained by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) with linear polymer chains to the cyanate cross-linked network. The low reactivity of PEG overcame the shortcomings of high brittleness and poor deformability while endowing cyanate resin with excellent shape memory properties. The SMCR with a glass transition temperature of 205.8 °C exhibited good stability after vacuum thermal cycling. The SMCR maintained a stable morphology and chemical composition after repeated high-low temperature cycle treatments. The SMCR matrix was purified by vacuum thermal cycling, which resulted in an increase in its initial thermal decomposition temperature by 10-17 °C. The continuous vacuum high and low temperature relaxation of the vacuum thermal cycling increased the cross-linking degree of the SMCR, which improved the mechanical properties and thermodynamic properties of SMCR: the tensile strength of SMCR was increased by about 14.5%, the average elastic modulus was greater than 1.83 GPa, and the glass transition temperature increased by 5-10 °C. Furthermore, the shape memory properties of SMCR after vacuum thermal cycling treatment were well maintained due to the stable triazine ring formed by the cross-linking of cyanate resin. This revealed that our developed SMCR had good resistance to vacuum thermal cycling and thus may be a good candidate for aerospace engineering.
Keywords: aging resistance; cyanate-based SMP; mechanical properties; shape memory effect; thermal properties; vacuum thermal cycling.