Characterization of dielectric elastomer actuators made of slide ring materials

Abstract

Slide ring materials (SRMs), a novel type of elastomer recently developed, are a promising material for dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), because of their unique properties such as high dielectric permittivity and low hysteresis. However, limited information is available on the electromechanical characteristics of SRMs. Here, we report on preliminary results of our ongoing study that is intended to clarify the electromechanical performance of SRMs, while comparing with other commercial elastomers (VHB 4905 and CF19-2186). Characterizations are performed using DEA samples with an aspect ratio of 10 (length:width = 1:10) that are mounted on a universal testing machine measuring the actuated force and strain. All the elastomers were processed into the same DEA sample geometry, and were tested under identical experimental conditions. The results show advantageous features of the SRMs, such as, much larger actuated force and strain compared to the other commercial elastomers under the same electric field.