• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.247-264
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• 2024

Recent advances in electro-active polymer (EAP) actuators, owing to their flexibility, lightweight, and simple fabrication process, have showcased their high utility across various fields such as soft robotics, biomimetics, wearable devices, and haptic technologies. Moreover, EAP actuators are evolving into smart devices with new functions and characteristics through the integration of functional materials and innovative technologies. This paper categorizes EAPs into ionic EAPs and electronic EAPs. Ionic EAPs include, most notably, ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) and conducting polymers (CPs), while electronic EAPs encompass dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), ferroelectric polymer actuators, and the recently introduced hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators. Detailed explanations based on the latest research are provided concerning the mechanism, structure, performance improvement strategies, methods for adding functionality, and application areas for each type of actuator.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.112-120
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• 2003

The composite of ionic polymer and metal has been fabricated and used for actuators. Platinum is deposited by electroless plating method onto the both sides of ionic polymer where ac voltage is applied. This results in the bending motion of a beam type actuator. In this paper, the fabrication method of ionic polymer-metal composite has been explained and the moving mechanism has been fabricated and measured using the ionic polymer-metal composite actuator. The moving mechanism is wireless type and the power is supplied through the rail electrodes in base plate. The maximum speed of the moving mechanism was about 24cm/min.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.759-767
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• 2008

Bending deformation of an ionic polymer actuator(IPA) on applied low electric field across its thickness is dominated by electroosmosis of hydrated ions and self-diffusion of free water molecules. In the study by Popovic et al., two processes are assumed to occur sequentially in the way that fast electroosmosis is followed by self-diffusion and finite element formulation for the basic field equations are proposed. However the motions of hydrated ions and water molecules occur at the same time. In this study, those two processes are considered simultaneously and finite element formulation is conducted for the basic field equations governing electrochemical response of an IPA. Some numerical studies for IPA are carried out in order to show the validity of the present formulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.136-137
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• 2015

이온성 고분자 금속 복합체(Ionic polymer metal composite, IPMC)는 전기 활성 고분자(Electro active polymer, EAP)중의 하나로 IPMC의 양 전극에 전기적인 자극을 가하면 굽힘 변형이 발생하고, 반대로 기계적인 자극이 주어지면 양 전극 사이에 전위차가 발생하여 전기를 얻을 수 있어 차세대 액추에이터와 센서로의 적용이 가능하다. 본 논문에서는 IPMC를 센서 소재로 사용하여 해양 환경 모니터링 센서에 전원을 공급하는 장치 개발을 설명하고자 한다.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1253-1258
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• 2019

The solid-state electrolyte based on polymer is applicable to various electrochemical devices including supercapacitor, battery, sensor, actuator and has great attention to develop its ionic conductivity from conventional polymer electrolyte by uisng wide range of ionic liquids. The research about ion gel as a solid state electrolyte with the ionic liquid has focused on the wearable and flexible electronic device to use as the high electrical and electrochemical performances, mechanical strength of polymer. In this work, we have investigated and developed solid-state electrolyte based on the ionic liquid and polymer with enhanced ionic conductivity and stability.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.144-151
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• 2003

IPMC(Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite) is promising candidate material for bio-related actuators mainly due to its biocompatibility and wet and soft properties. The widely used commercialized Nafion film has a few kinds of fixed thicknesses but more various film thicknesses are required for extensive applications. Especially for the enhanced force as an actuator, the thick film is essential. Various Nafion films with thickness of 0.4-1.2mm have been prepared by casting of liquid Nafion. Also, IPMC actuators using casted Nafion films have been fabricated and the basic mechanical properties such as stiffness, displacement and force were measured and analyzed. These results can be used for the optimized design of actuators for different applications.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.51 no.12
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• pp.601-607
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• 2002

IPMC(Ionic Polymer Metal Composite)actuators were optimized for producing improved forces by changing multiple parameters including repetition of number of plating, surface electroding and additive(PVP)-treatment on reduction. The platinum electrode is deposited on the surface of the material where platinum particle stay in a dense form that appears to introduce a significant level of surface electrode resistance. Actuation tests were performed for such IPMC actuators under a low voltage. The test results show that the lower surface-electrode resistance generates higher actuation capability in the IPMC actuators. In order to investigate relaxation behavior of bending and repeatability in dry condition, the IPMC was coated by$rubber(KRATON^{TM})$to minimize the effect of water evaporation from IPMC. This actuator can be used in air with surface coating to avoid membrane drying.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.353-358
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• 2009

Ionic polymer metal composite(IPMC) has been used as a promising material for various actuator applications. The IPMC actuator is difficult to be fabricated with complicated 3-dimensional shape. We propose a simple heat treatment process that can fabricate IPMC actuator with various shapes. Experimental results show the pre-shaped IPMC actuator by heat treatment does not show any degradation of its actuation abilities such as bending displacement, generation force and reliability in bending motion.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.298-304
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• 2003

IPMC(Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite) is a highly sensitive actuator that shows a large deformation in presence of low applied voltage. Generally, IPMC can be fabricated by electroless plating of platinum on both sides of a Nafion (perfluorosulfonic acid) film. When a commercial Nafion film is used as a base structure of the IPMC membrane, the micro-pump structure and the IPMC membrane are fabricated separately and then later assembled, which makes the fabrication inefficient. Therefore, fabrication of an IPMC membrane and the micro-pump structure on a single wafer without the need of assembly have been developed. The silicon wafer was partially etched to hold liquid Nafion to be casted and a 60-${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ thick IPMC membrane was realized. IPMC membranes with various size were fabricated by casting and they showed 4-2${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ displacements from $4mm{\times}4mm$ , $6mm{\times}6mm$, $8mm{\times}8mm$ membranes at the applied voltage ranging from 2Vp-p to 5Vp-p at 0.5Hz. The displacement of the fabricated IPMC membranes is fairly proportional to the membrane area and the applied voltage.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.51 no.9
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• pp.455-463
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• 2002

Ionic Polymer metal composite(IPMC), one of new actuation materials of EAPs is fabricated by electroless plating of platinum on both sides of the perfluorosulfonic acid film or Nafion film and its electromechanical characteristics are investigated. The IPMC strip bends towards anode under electrical field. As the number of plating cycle increases, the distance between plated platinum electrodes on both sides of Nafion membrane decreases and also the displacement is almost inversely proportional to the number of plating. The displacement of IPMC strip depends on voltage magnitude and applied signal frequency and its maximum deformation is observed at a critical frequency, resonant frequency. Low pressure sandblasting is used for surface treatment of Nafion membrane and at 8 times of plating cycle produced actuator with high displacement performance. For more efficiency of fabricated IPMC, it is useful to add one or two surface developing step which is the second reduction process using hydrazine.