Investigating a few key issues of ionomeric polymer conductive network composite electromechanical transducers

Sheng Liu; Minren Lin; Yang Liu; Qiming Zhang; Reza Montazami; Vaibhav Jain; James R. Heflin

doi:10.1117/12.815855

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6 April 2009 Investigating a few key issues of ionomeric polymer conductive network composite electromechanical transducers

Sheng Liu, Minren Lin, Yang Liu, Qiming Zhang, Reza Montazami, Vaibhav Jain, James R. Heflin

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Proceedings Volume 7287, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) 2009; 72870T (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.815855
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2009, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Traditional ionic polymer/conductor network composite (IPCNC) electromechanical actuators exhibit low actuation speed and efficiency. In order to improve these parameters while still maintaining low voltage operation, we investigated IPCNC with a range of composite layer (active layer) and middle ionomer layer (passive layer) thicknesses. We show that it is the slow ion transport in the porous composite electrode layer that limits the actuation speed of IPCNCs. By reducing the thickness of the composite electrode layers, both the actuation speed and efficiency can be improved. Moreover, we show that the IPCNC actuator speed and efficiency are intimately related to the morphology of the composite electrode layer and the conductor network composites fabricated by ionic self-assembled layer-by-layer (LBL) exhibit higher strain response compared with that from the traditional IPCNC. For example, LBL composites show very high intrinsic strain of about 7%. Detailed device analysis points out directions of further improvement of these actuators.

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Sheng Liu, Minren Lin, Yang Liu, Qiming Zhang, Reza Montazami, Vaibhav Jain, and James R. Heflin "Investigating a few key issues of ionomeric polymer conductive network composite electromechanical transducers", Proc. SPIE 7287, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) 2009, 72870T (6 April 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.815855

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