Abstract: Shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) was prepared using polycaprolactone (PCL) as the crystallizable soft segment and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) as the hard segment. The microstructure of SMPU was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. It was found that with increasing content of hard segment, the melting temperature of SMPU increased, the crystallinity and shape recovery ratio decreased, the shape fixed ratio remained 98 %. Increasing the molecular weight of PCL, the crystalline melting temperature and shape recovery temperature of SMPU decreased, the crystallinity increased.

Key words: polycaprolactone, soft segment, hard segment, crystallinity, polyurethane, shape memory