Abstract
Dielectric electroactive polymer materials represent a distinct group of smart materials that are capable of converting between electrical and mechanical energy. This research focuses on the modeling and testing of an industrial grade fluoropolymer material for its feasibility as a dielectric elastomer electroactive polymer. Through this process, a novel chemical pre-strain method was tested, along with a one-step process for application of pre-strain and addition of an elastomer conductive layer. Modeled and experimental actuators produced approximately 1 mm displacements with 0.625 W of electrical power. The displacement of the actuators was characterized, and the effects of multiple parameters were modeled and analyzed.
Highlights
Smart materials represent an ideology that the materials themselves, which are the building blocks of current mechanical and electrical structures, can react to presented stimuli, thereby improving safety and efficiency
Smart materials as a class represent a wide range of materials and applications including piezoelectrics, shape-memory alloys, ferroelectrics, thermoelectric materials, and dielectric elastomers
Dielectric elastomers are built as a parallel plate capacitor, comprised of a dielectric layer placed between two conductive layers
Summary
Smart materials represent an ideology that the materials themselves, which are the building blocks of current mechanical and electrical structures, can react to presented stimuli, thereby improving safety and efficiency. Proposed and used P(VDF-TrFE) 70–30% mol as a dielectric material for EAP actuators and energy harvesting applications In their work, they were able to homogenously disperse spin-crossover nanoparticles to enhance the mechanical flexibility and electric permittivity of the base P(VDF-TrFE). According to Li et al [15] conductive and strengthening particles of Silicon Dioxide SiO2 , (nanofillers) can be used to facilitate crystallization of the polymer and have better control of the polymerization process The addition of such particles resulted in an improved dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, excellent mechanical strength, toughness, and optical transparency. Commercially available industrial grade fluoropolymer materials were adapted through the addition of graphite particles to adjust their electrical properties, and were used to produce dielectric EAPs through a one-step chemical pre-strain process
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