An actuator is an energy transducer that can convert input energies into work. Cross-linked liquid-crystalline polymers show photoinduced deformation with changes in the molecular shape and alignment ...

THE mechanical properties of a natural or synthetic polymer are profoundly affected when the van der Waals' intermolecular forces are supplemented by stable chemical linkages (cross-linkages) between ...

Cross-linking plastics is an irreversible process where the long chains of polymers are bonded or linked together. This makes materials tougher and less flexible, and resistant to softening when ...

In complement to the classical cross-linking polymers which cure thermally, light- and photo-curing polymers are becoming increasingly important in the fields of adhesives, paints and coatings. To ...