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Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
Published on: February 1, 2016
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Polar Elastomers as Novel Materials for Electromechanical Actuator Applications
1Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Empa, Laboratory for Functional Polymers, Überlandstr. 129, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|December 6, 2017
Summary
Polar dielectric elastomers, a type of stretchable capacitor, show musclelike actuation. Research focuses on their molecular structure and properties to enable lower driving voltages for potential muscle replacement applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Electromechanical Systems
Background:
- Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are stretchable capacitors that mimic muscle action when electrically charged.
- Current DEAs require high driving voltages, limiting their use in applications like artificial muscles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate polar dielectric elastomers and their behavior under electric fields.
- To correlate molecular structure and synthesis with DEA properties.
- To provide guidelines for future research in DEA development, focusing on reducing driving voltage.
Main Methods:
- Focus on polar dielectric elastomers, particularly polysiloxanes, due to their low glass transition temperatures.
- Analysis of molecular structure, synthetic realization, and their impact on electromechanical properties.
- Exploration of introducing polar groups into polymer backbones while maintaining elasticity.
Main Results:
- Polysiloxanes allow for the incorporation of highly polar groups, enhancing DEA performance.
- Molecular design is crucial for achieving desired electromechanical properties and soft elasticity.
- Understanding structure-property relationships is key to optimizing DEA functionality.
Conclusions:
- Further research into polar dielectric elastomers, especially polysiloxanes, is promising for developing advanced artificial muscles.
- Tailoring molecular structure is essential for achieving low-voltage actuation in DEAs.
- This work offers guidance for researchers aiming to advance DEA technology for biomedical applications.
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