Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 33).Reinforced shape-memory polymers have been developed from an acrylate based thermoset shape-memory polymer and nitinol wires. A rectangular shape-memory polymer measuring approximately 1 by 2 by 0.1 inches has a ten fold increase in actuation force under three-point bending when reinforced with two 0.02 inch diameter nitinol wires. A constitutive model for shape-memory polymers and nitinol has been used to predict with good correlation the actuation-versus-time and displacement-versustime behavior of the reinforced shape-memory polymer composites. It is possible then, using finite-element modeling, to design and manufacture reinforced shape-memory polymers tailored for use as thermally-activated actuators of specific force.by Claudio V. Di Leo.S.B
