Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) has developed environmental exposure tracking (EET) sensors using shape
memory polymers (SMP) to monitor the degradation of perishable items, such as munitions, foods and beverages, or
medicines, by measuring the cumulative exposure to temperature and moisture. SMPs are polymers whose qualities have
been altered to give them dynamic shape "memory" properties. Under thermal or moisture stimuli, the SMP exhibits a
radical change from a rigid thermoset to a highly flexible, elastomeric state. The dynamic response of the SMP can be
tailored to match the degradation profile of the perishable item. SMP-based EET sensors require no digital memory or
internal power supply and provide the capability of inexpensive, long-term life cycle monitoring of thermal and moisture
exposure over time.
This technology was developed through Phase I and Phase II SBIR efforts with the Navy. The emphasis of current
research centers on transitioning SMP materials from the lab bench to a production environment. Here, CRG presents the
commercialization progress of thermally-activated EET sensors, focusing on fabrication scale-up, process refinements,
and quality control. In addition, progress on the development of vapor pressure-responsive SMP (VPR-SMP) will be
discussed.
Research and development efforts at Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) have led to commercialization efforts
on several projects where shape memory polymer (SMP) materials are being transitioned from laboratory development
to manufacturing and production. During this process, quality-control efforts are of vital importance for successfully
implementing smart materials technologies in commercial applications. Here, CRG reports quality-control procedures
being developed for mass production of environmental exposure sensors. These measures include chemical analysis
procedures for insuring resin quality at the front-end of the production line as well as back-end quality-assurance tests
for production validation on the SMP product.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.