The amounts per cycle of polypyrrole electromechanical actuators

Abstract

The energy output (work) generated by polypyrrole actuators has beendetermined from the actuator strain operating against a constant force. The straindecreases as the force increases leading to a maximum in the amounts per cycle atan intermediate force. The behaviour agrees well with previous analyses(Baughman 1996 Synth. Met. 78 339–53). The amounts per cycle dependsupon the applied electrical stimulation and on the actuator geometry.Flat films were found to be inferior to hollow tubes, which, in turn, wereinferior to similar tubes containing a helical platinum wire in the tubewall. A maximum work capacity of 83 kJ m−3was determined for the helix tubes, which is the highest reported work capacity ofpolypyrrole actuators.