Shape memory polymers are novel materials that can be easily formed into complex shapes, retaining memory of their original shape even after undergoing large deformations. We present a set of constitutive equations that are formulated to model their behavior under varying thermal and mechanical conditions while the polymer undergoes large deformations. The models have been developed within a general thermodynamic framework that is capable of describing dissipative processes. In addition changes in symmetry that take place due to the formation of an anisotropic crystalline phase are handled in a direct manner. The constitutive equations have been developed using the notion of multiple natural configurations and are based on a framework that was developed recently for studying crystallization in polymers. The influence of both the material constants and heat transfer boundary conditions on the response of shape memory polymers is illustrated for a number of different boundary value problems.
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