A review on shape memory polymers

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) is a type of smart polymers. Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) allow for the development of stimuli-responsive polymer-based materials that can undergo substantial recoverable deformation in response to an external stimulus. Shape-memory effects (SMEs) of these SMP-based materials for task-specific applications are picking the interest of academic and industrial researchers. Significant progress has been gained in the field of shape memory polymers (SMPs) in recent years, with the discovery of new compositions for property tweaking, the discovery of new processes for shape fixing and recovery, and the initiation of phenomenological modelling. The current review will provide a brief account of the history of SMPs, their qualities, their structure and mechanism, classification, biodegradable SMPs and use of SMPs in various fields. Recent advancements in shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) and shape-memory polymer blends (SMPBs) are also emphasized. This review explains distinct classification criteria of SMPs with a view of polymer type and structure and external stimulation.