Title: shape-memory polymer
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - shape-memory polymer
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.ST07194
Status: current

Definition
Polymer that, after heating and being subjected to a plastic deformation, resumes its original shape when heated above its glass-transition or melting temperature.

Note
Crystalline trans-polyisoprene is an example of a shape-memory polymer.

Related Terms
- melting: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/M03821
- trans: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/C01092

Source
- PAC, 2004, 76, 889. 'Definitions of terms relating to reactions of polymers and to functional polymeric materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003)' on page 903 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200476040889)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/ST07194/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/ST07194/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/ST07194/xml

Citation: Citation: 'shape-memory polymer' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.ST07194
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-04-18T14:57:16+00:00