Abstract
We have fabricated and tested thermal, paraffin-impregnated polyimide actuators, utilizing the large volume increase associated with the solid-to-liquid phase transition of paraffin. In the bimorph-like device, the top layer was made porous by ion track technology. Stochastically distributed pores of various lengths (95, 70, 45 and 20 µm) and various lateral coverages (5–45%) were filled with paraffin by liquid substitution or from vacuum, and sealed with epoxy. Actuators, 125 µm thick, 35 mm long and 7 mm wide, have been characterized with respect to tip deflection and load-carrying capacity with one end rigidly clamped. Loaded with 0.6 g or about ten times their own weight at their free end, about 50% of the maximum stroke (17 mm) was still attained.
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