Polymer composites actuators

Ma M, Guo L, Anderson DG, Langer R (2013) Bio-inspired polymer composite actuator and generator driven by water gradients. Science 339 186... 

Polymer composite actuators with a bilayer structure of different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) can generate bending displacement. When one side of the film is introduced with conductive fillers, the actuator can be electrothermally driven. PDMS/CNT composite was reported to be driven by the thermal expansion of the PDMS with CNTs as... 

Coupling of highly conductive CNT network with a soft polymer matrix with large coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) leads to a new class of electrothermal CNT-polymer composite actuators,which generates significant strains reversibly at applied electric fields at least two orders of magnitude lower than those reported for electrostrictive polymer nanocomposites. 

Carbon nanotubes are synthesized using metal catalysts, which are later difficult to remove fiom the nanotubes to assure high purity. These impurities develop pseudocapacitive properties of CNT-based actuators. The trend in carbon-based actuators is to find alternatives to CNTs, especially to SWCNTs, mostly because of their high cost. CNTs have still unique properties and by far better electrical conductivity compared to amorphous carbons, and rather than replacing, the combination of CNTs with different types of amorphous carbons in electroactive carbon-polymer composite actuators is the prospect. 

Their unique properties predestine them for both very specific applications and broad use in the field of polymer composites. They not only enhance mechanical properties but also electrical and thermal properties, act as flame retardants, etc. Thus their positives can be successfully exploited from simple or advanced polymer matrix reinforcement, through electronic devices, sensors and actuators, to electrorheological fluids, to name just the most important applications. 

Potyrailo, R. A. Leach, A. M., Gas sensor materials based on semiconductor nanocrystal/ polymer composite films, In Proceedings of Transducers 05, the 13th International Conference on Solid-state Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, Seoul, Korea, June 5-9, 2005 1292-1295... 

M. Josowitz, J. Janata, K. Ashley and S. Pons, Electrochemical and ultraviolet-visible spectroelectrochemical investigation of selectivity of potentiometric gas sensors based on polypyrrole, Anal. Chem., 1987, 59, 253 T. Sata. Possibility for potentiometric humidity sensor of composite membranes prepared from anion-exchange membrane and conducting polymer, Sensor Actuators, B, 1995, 23, 63 K. Ogura, H. Shiigi, T. Oho and T. Tonosaki, A C02 sensor with polymer composites at ordinary temperature, J. Electrochem. Soc., 2000,147, 4351. 

Conductive Polymer Composites, 470 High-Strength Composites, 470 Transparent Electrodes, 471 Optoelectronic Devices, 473 Sensors and Actuators, 474 Nanotube Transistors, 475... 

Mallavarapu K, Newbury K, Leo D (2001) Feedback control of the bending response of ionic polymer-metal composite actuators. SPIE Proc 4329 301-310. doi 10.1117/12.432660... 

Figure 15.12 SEM images of (A) cross-section and bottom side of a PANI-graphite film and (B) cross-section of a PAN film case without graphite. (Reprinted with permission from Polymer, Preparation and characterization of monolithic polyaniline-graphite composite actuators by W. Li, C. L. Johnson andH.-L. Wang, Polymer, 45, 14,4769 775. Copyright (2004) Elsevier Ltd)...

G. Han and G. Shi, Conducting polymer electrochemical actuator made of high-strength threelayered composite films of polythiophene and polypyrrole. Sens. Actual. B, B99 (2-3), 525-531... 

W. Li, C.L. Johnson, and H.-L. Wang, Preparation and characterization of monolithic pxtlyani-line-graphite composite actuators. Polymer, 45 (14), 4769-4775 (2004). 

Jo C, Pugal D, Oh I-K, Kim KJ, Asaka K (2013) Recent advances in ionic polymer-metal composite actuators and their modeling and applications. Prog Polym Sci 38 1037... 

Biocompatible electromechanical actuators composed of silk-conducting polymer composites. Adv. Funct. Mater. 24,3866-3873. 

Besides the intrinsic conductive polymers, some deformable polymers, such as shape-memory polymers, are usually activated by heating. After incorporating with conductive fillers, such as carbon nanomaterials, they can be simulated by the electricity through Joule heating (Liu et al., 2009 Hu and Chen, 2010 Koerner et al., 2004). This kind of electro thermally active polymer composites can produce expansion/contraction and bending behaviors upon with the electricity. Moreover, these actuators can work durably... 

Chen, L., Liu, C., Liu, K., Meng, C., Hu, C., Wang, J., Fan, S., 2011. High-performance, low-voltage, and easy-operable bending actuator based on aligned carbon nanotube/polymer composites. ACS Nano 5, 1588-1593. 

Actuators and Infrared Sensors Based on Carbon Nanotube— Polymer Composites... 

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