Disposable Foamed Silicone Composite Actuator Powered by Sublimation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Robotics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Soft actuators are crucial for devices, human-machine interfaces, and biomedical applications.
• Existing soft actuators utilize foamed silicone matrices with working liquids (WL) undergoing phase transitions.
• The need for enhanced actuation strain and novel functionalities drives current research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of adding a sublimation substance (SS) to the working liquid (WL) in soft actuators.
• To enhance the actuation strain of silicone-based soft actuators.
• To explore the potential of these modified actuators as disposable safety devices.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of benzoic acid as a sublimation substance into C1-C3 alcohol working liquids.
• Testing of soft actuators with the modified working liquid using a two-stage heating mode.
• Analysis of actuation strain changes with and without the sublimation substance.

Main Results:

• A rejuvenation procedure effectively fills actuator pores with the working liquid + sublimation substance solution.
• Addition of benzoic acid increased composite strain by approximately 20% for methanol and ethanol as working liquids.
• Actuation strain remained largely unchanged for C3 propanols.
• High diffusion in open-air conditions resulted in single-use actuation, suggesting disposable actuator applications.

Conclusions:

• The addition of a sublimation substance is a viable method for enhancing soft actuator performance.
• Modified soft actuators show potential for disposable applications, such as safety switches.
• This research opens avenues for developing powerful, multipurpose soft safety devices.