Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have gained an increasing importance in various research applications. In literature the most explored dielectric elastomers (DEs) are silicones and acrylics. As promising alternatives, polyurethanes have been identified due to their inherent higher dielectric constant, higher dielectric strength, and appropriate response behavior. However, polyurethane systems are known to have hygroscopic properties that can lead to changes in the dielectric properties when they are exposed to moisture. In this work, a circular DEA composed of a thermosetting polyurethane film and carbon grease electrodes is exposed to four stabilized levels of relative humidity (RH = 22 %, 36 %, 56 %, 70 %) at a constant temperature of 22 °C. The actuation strain is measured to study the effect of moisture absorption on the DEA performance. In addition, impedance spectroscopy is performed on the DEA to investigate the influence of moisture on its dielectric properties. Impedance, phase angle and dielectric constant of the DEA are evaluated at the respective RH level. The results show a rise in the dielectric constant of 15 % with increasing the humidity from 22 % to 70 %. However, increasing the humidity does not necessarily lead to an increase in actuation strain.
There is an increasing interest to use novel elastomers with inherent or modified advanced dielectric and mechanical properties, as components of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). This requires corresponding techniques to assess their electromechanical performance. One performance criterion is the electrically induced deformation of the active electrode area. In this work, a rectangular DEA is used to investigate the influence of the ratio between the active electrode and the passive area on the actuator deformation. For this purpose, a dielectric silicone film is bonded on one surface to a unidirectional carbon fiber fabric. Thereby, highly anisotropic mechanical properties are implemented. When strains are applied perpendicular to the fiber direction, the composite hardly contracts in the fiber direction due to the superior stiffness of the fibers. In addition, the conductive fiber structure also acts as a highly anisotropic compliant electrode. By application of a second paste-like electrode onto the silicone film a DEA is created that operates in a pure shear configuration. This assembly enables the modification of the active-to-passive area ratio and the investigation of its effect on the actuator deformation. Image-based measurements are used to determine the strain of the active electrode area. The experimental results are compared to a lumped-parameter model that considers the electromechanical properties of the fiber-reinforced DEA. In summary, the ratio of the active-to-passive area has a significant influence on the measured deformation. Especially for novel actuator materials that do not exhibit large strains, an active-to-passive ratio of 50 % proves to be particularly advantageous.
Electroactive polymers are a major component of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). The performance of DEAs depends on the Young’s modulus, dielectric constant and film thickness of the electroactive polymer as well as the compliance of the electrodes and the applied voltage. In literature mostly experiments on silicone- and acrylic-based DEAs are reported. However, better actuator performance can be expected with materials that have a higher dielectric constant. Therefore, unconventional electroactive polymers, such as polyurethane, chloroprene, or nitrile rubber, are currently attracting increasing interest for DEA applications. Besides their inherent dielectric properties, ferroelectric fillers embedded in the electroactive polymer can increase the dielectric constant even further. Provided that the filler concentration does not significantly increase the Young’s modulus, ferroelectrically filled polymers can be expected to have a better actuator performance than standard materials. In this work, barium titanate particles with different concentrations were embedded in crosslinked polyurethane elastomer films. The hyperelastic material behavior of the polyurethane elastomer is represented by a Mooney-Rivlin model. Impedance spectroscopy is used to determine the dielectric constant of the electroactive compounds. Planar DEAs are designed from both unfilled and barium titanate-filled polyurethane films and compared with respect to their mechanical, dielectric, and actuator properties. The electric field response of unfilled and barium titanate-filled polyurethane-based DEAs is investigated experimentally and compared to an analytical solution of the actuator deformation. Additionally, a comparison between experimental DEA operation and an FEA prediction is carried out and discussed.
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