Conducting polymer actuators performance

It needs to be stressed that the performance of conducting-polymer actuators is heavily dependent upon their conditions of preparation, in that the quality of the films, including factors such as chain alignment and polymer density, can be readily altered as electropolymerization conditions are varied. Several synthetic conditions relevant to conducting-polymer nanostructure are included below. 

Research groups at Wollongong, Australia, have examined a number of conducting-polymer performance criteria, such as the energy output (work) for different actuator geometries, and the way the strain typically decreases as the force under operation is increased. Part of the explanation for the behavior of conducting-polymer actuators can be... 

H.-R. Kang and N.-J. Jo, Solid-state conducting polymer actuator based on electrochemically-deposited polypyrrole and solid polymer electrolyte. High Perform. Polym., 18 (5), 665-678 (2006). 

G. Alici and N.N Huynh, Performance quantification of conducting polymer actuators for real applications A microgripping system, lEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatrort, 12 (1), 73-84 (2007). 

Ding, ]., Liu, L., Spinks, G.M., Zhou, D.Z., Wallace, G.G., Gillespie, ]., 2003. High performance conducting polymer actuators utilising a tubular geometry and helical wire interconnects. Synth. Met. 138, 391-398. 

Anode, cathode, and electrolyte are the three main elements in reversible electrochemical actuators and the conducting polymer actuators can he classified as extensional actuators and hydrostatic actuators. In order to perform mechanical work, linear or biaxial dimensional changes are used for the extensional actuators as illustrated in Figure 8.81 [134]. On the other hand, during the electrochemical redox processes, the overall volume change of the anode, cathode, and electrolyte is considered to perform the mechanical work in the hydrostatic actuators. 

Madden, P.G., Madden, J.D., Anquetil, P.A. (2004) Singapore The relationship of conducting polymer actuator material properties to performance, IEEE J. Oceanic Eng., 29, 696-705. 

Another linear stroke polymer actuator has been proposed by Ding et al. (2003). It is based on hollow PPy fibers with a helical wire interconnect. Its preparation is shown in Fig. 4. This actuator configuration, which provides up to 5 % axial strain, usable strains (>1 %) to at least 8 MPa and peak strain rates of up to 13 % per second, can be used in the applications typified by a Braille display, which is described in the chapter of this book on the applications of conducting polymer actuators. A two-electrode arrangement was used to quantify fire performance of fire actuator under various inputs. 

Madden JDW (2000) Conducting polymer actuators. MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA Madden PGA (2003) Development and modeling of conducting polymer actuators and demonstration of a conducting polymer-based feedback loop. MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA Madden JDW, Madden PGA, Hunter IW (2001) Polypyrrole actuators modeling and performance. SPIE 4329 72-83... 

Alici G, Huynh NN (2007) Performance quantification of conducting polymer actuators for real applications a microgripping system. lEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron 12 73-84 Alici G, Spinks G, Huynh NN, Sarmadi L, Minato R (2007) Establishment of a biomimetic device based on tri-layer polymer actuators - propulsion fins. Bioinspir Biomim 2 S18 Alici G, Devaud V, Renaud P, Spinks G (2009) Conducting polymer microactuators operating in air. J Micromech Microeng 19 025017... 

Kumar D, Sharma RC (1998) Advances in conductive polymers. Eur Polym J 34 1053-1060 Inzelt G, Pineri M, Schultze JW et al (2000) Electron and proton conducting polymers Recent developments and prospects. Electrochim Acta 45 2403-2421 Kang HR, Jo NJ (2006) Solid-state conducting polymer actuator based on electrochemicaUy-deposited polypyrrole and solid polymer electrolyte. High Perform Polym 18 665-678 Skotheim TA, Elsenbaumer RL, Reynolds JR (1997) Handbook of Conducting Polymers, Vols. 1-2, Marcel Dekker, New York... 

In recent several years, super-capacitors are attracting more and more attention because of their high capacitance and potential applications in electronic devices. The performance of super-capacitors with MWCNTs deposited with conducting polymers as active materials is greatly enhanced compared to electric double-layer super-capacitors with CNTs due to the Faraday effect of the conducting polymer as shown in Fig. 9.18 (Valter et al., 2002). Besides those mentioned above, polymer/ CNT nanocomposites own many potential applications (Breuer and Sundararaj, 2004) in electrochemical actuation, wave absorption, electronic packaging, selfregulating heater, and PTC resistors, etc. The conductivity results for polymer/CNT composites are summarized in Table 9.1 (Biercuk et al., 2002). 

The potential benefits of using ionic liquids as electrolytes in conducting polymer devices have been investigated by a number of authors in recent years, for applications such as actuators [8-17], supercapacitors [18-20], electrochromic devices [12, 21] and solar cells [22], with significant improvements in lifetimes and device performance reported. 

There is growing interest in biomimetic motions, which imitate the action of natural muscles. Since such motions are difficult to realize using conventional appliances such as mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic actuators, research efforts are focused on the development of new muscle-like actuators. Electroactive polymers (EAPs) including polymer gels [63], ionic polymer-metal composites (IMPCs) [64], conductive polymers [56], and carbon nanotubes [65] are candidates to address the performance demands. 

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