Conducting polymer, carbon nanotube, and hybrid actuator materials

Geoffrey M. Spinks; Gordon G. Wallace; Christopher D. Carter; Dezhi Zhou; Leonard S. Fifield; Clint R. Kincaid; Ray H. Baughman

doi:10.1117/12.432646

16 July 2001 Conducting polymer, carbon nanotube, and hybrid actuator materials

Geoffrey M. Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace, Christopher D. Carter, Dezhi Zhou, Leonard S. Fifield, Clint R. Kincaid, Ray H. Baughman

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4329, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.432646
Event: SPIE's 8th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2001, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

The electromechanical actuation performance of carbon nanotube mats, polypyrrole films and hybrid nanotube-polypryrrole materials has been compared. The hybrid materials were formed by coating nanotube mats with polypyrrole using vapour deposition and electropolymerisation techniques. When the coating time was short, the hybrid materials showed the electrochemical responses typical of polypyrrole and retained the porous structure of the nanotube mats. The actuator response of the different materials was determined isotonically at different applied loads. The nanotube mat and hybrid materials gave actuator strains that were largely insensitive to the applied stress up to ~ 10 MPa. The hybrid materials were virtually identical to the uncoated nanotube mats in terms of actuator performance. A simple model showed that the actuator strain depends upon the difference in elastic modulus of the actuator material in the doped and undoped states.

Citation Download Citation

Geoffrey M. Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace, Christopher D. Carter, Dezhi Zhou, Leonard S. Fifield, Clint R. Kincaid, and Ray H. Baughman "Conducting polymer, carbon nanotube, and hybrid actuator materials", Proc. SPIE 4329, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices, (16 July 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.432646

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

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.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available