Abstract
If we develop a novel self-repairing product, which can always return to its original shape after it was damaged, the product can be used repeatedly and contribute toward solving environmental problems today. The purpose of this study is to create self-repairing materials by using shape-memory gels. However the previous shape-memory gels are always weak, so that we tried to add hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) as a liquid crystalline polymer into the gels with the aim of improving mechanical properties of the gels. Our idea is that the order structure of the gels is enhanced by the addition of the HPC and makes it possible to improve the mechanical strength. Our experimental results showed that the maximum stress and the maximum strain of the shape-memory gels are increased when an appropriate amount of the HPC is added to the gels.
