A New Kind of Electro-Active Nano-Composite Actors Based on SSMA-Reinforced Nafion

Abstract:

Ionic polymer metal composite actuators (IPMCs), a new kind of smart material, have taken much attention as suitable candidates for the next generation actuators, micro-electromechanical systems, medical devices and micro air vehicles. In this paper, a new kind of IPMCs was developed by incorporating sulfonated poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (SSMA) into the Nafion structure to overcome some of the major drawbacks of traditional electro-active polymers. The results show that the ion exchange capacity and water uptake ratio of the SSMA-Nation membrane increased dramatically. Compared with general IPMCs, the maximum bending displacement and the maximum blocking force of the SSMA-reinforced IPMCs improved greatly: the 1 wt.% SSMA-IPMC exhibited the maximum bending displacement of 11 mm up to 1.4 times, while the 5 wt.% SSMA-IPMC exhibited the maximum blocking force of 26 mN up to 1.2 times.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 461)
• Pages: 323-329
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.461.323
• Online since: November 2013
• Authors: Jie Ru, Min Yu, Qing Song He, Bao Lei Wang, Zhen Dong Dai
• Keywords: Electro-Active Polymer, IPMC, Smart Material, SSMA

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