A new low moduli dielectric elastomer nano-structured composite with high permittivity exhibiting large actuation strain induced by low electric field

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are able to deform significantly in response under an external electric field. DE actuators have promising applications in many emerging fields such as biomimetic robots, haptic devices, tunable lens, and loudspeakers. Practical applications of DE devices are limited by t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Composites science and technology 2018-03, Vol.156, p.151-157
Main Authors: Zhang, Feixiang, Li, Tiefeng, Luo, Yingwu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actuation
Biomimetics
Block copolymers
Deformation
Dielectric breakdown
Dielectric elastomers
Dielectric strength
Dielectrics
Elastomers
Electric field strength
Electric fields
Functional composites
Latex
Loudspeakers
Nano composites
Nanocomposites
Permittivity
Polymer matrix composites
Polystyrene resins
Smart materials
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Summary:Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are able to deform significantly in response under an external electric field. DE actuators have promising applications in many emerging fields such as biomimetic robots, haptic devices, tunable lens, and loudspeakers. Practical applications of DE devices are limited by the extremely high electric field and the high pre-stretch. Herein, we have designed and fabricated a new type of soft DE composites of partially reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/polystyrene-b-poly (n-butyl acrylate)-b-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SBAS). An extremely soft SBAS was tailor-made as the elastic matrix. A facile colloidal blending method, i.e. simply mixing the SBAS latex with GO aqueous dispersion, was used to fabricate the nano-structured composite with a segregated network of RGO nano-sheets. The design strategy led to the DE composite film of 1.5 wt% RGO/SBAS owning low modulus (0.51 MPa), high relative permittivity (∼11) and relatively high dielectric breakdown strength (33 kV/mm). The DE composite film exhibited 21.3% maximum area actuation strain at relatively low electric field strength 33 kV/mm without pre-stretch.
ISSN:0266-3538
1879-1050
DOI:10.1016/j.compscitech.2017.12.016