The bending mechanism of thermoplastic polyurethane under an applied electric field

Kai Siu Lam; Yuen Wah Wong; Liang Shiang Tai; Y. M. Poon; Franklin G. Shin

doi:10.1117/12.507923

28 July 2003 The bending mechanism of thermoplastic polyurethane under an applied electric field

Kai Siu Lam, Yuen Wah Wong, Liang Shiang Tai, Y. M. Poon, Franklin G. Shin

Proceedings Volume 5051, Smart Structures and Materials 2003: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD); (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507923
Event: Smart Structures and Materials, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A thin strip of thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) was found to bend to the cathode side under the application of a DC electric field. As the field was reversed, the bending went to the anode side at first and then switched back to the cathode side. The mechanism responsible for this bending and switching phenomena was investigated by means of monitoring the charging and discharging current during the application of electric field. It was found that the bending direction and magnitude can be correlated to the direction and magnitude of current flow. A detailed analysis of the current response shows that it is most likely a space charge limited current. A model based on a charge accumulation at the sample surface will also be presented in this paper. It can explain the bending as well as switching effect of the PU film. In order to visualize the charge contents in the PU film, we apply the thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC) technique for the measurement. Our preliminary result has confirmed the existence of charged layers at the surfaces of the PU film.

Citation Download Citation

Kai Siu Lam, Yuen Wah Wong, Liang Shiang Tai, Y. M. Poon, and Franklin G. Shin "The bending mechanism of thermoplastic polyurethane under an applied electric field", Proc. SPIE 5051, Smart Structures and Materials 2003: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD), (28 July 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507923

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