• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• 제4권6호
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• pp.748-755
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• 2006

In this paper, a trade-off design and fabrication of IPMC(Ionic Polymer Metal Composites) as an actuator for a flapping device have been described. Experiments for the internal solvent loss of IPMCs have been conducted for various combinations of cation and solvent in order to find out the best combination of cation and solvent for minimal solvent loss and higher actuation force. From the experiments, it was found that IPMCs with heavy water as their solvent could operate longer. Relations between length/thickness and tip force of IPMCs were also quantitatively identified for the actuator design from the tip force measurement of 200, 400, 640, and $800{\mu}m$ thick IPMCs. All IPMCs thicker than $200{\mu}m$ were processed by casting $Nafion^{TM}$ solution. The shorter and thicker IPMCs tended to generate higher actuation force but lower actuation displacement. To improve surface conductivity and to minimize solvent evaporation due to electrically heated electrodes, gold was sputtered on both surfaces of the cast IPMCs by the Physical Vapor Deposition(PVD) process. For amplification of a short IPMC's small actuation displacement to a large flapping motion, a rack-and-pinion type hinge was used in the flapping device. An insect wing was attached to the IPMC flapping mechanism for its flapping test. In this test, the wing flapping device using the $800{\mu}m$ thick IPMC. could create around $10^{\circ}{\sim}85^{\circ}$ flapping angles and $0.5{\sim}15Hz$ flapping frequencies by applying $3{\sim|}4V$.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제10권11호
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• pp.981-990
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• 2004

Specialized propulsors for naval applications have numerous opportunities in terms of research, design and fabrication of an appropriate propulsor. One of the most important components of any propulsor is the actuator that provides the mode of locomotion. Ionomeric electro-active polymer may offer an attractive solution for locomotion of small propulsors. A common ionomeric electro-active polymer, ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPHCs) give large true bending deformations under low driving voltages, operate in aqueous environments, are capable of transduction and are relatively well understood. IPMC fabrication and operation are presented to further elucidate the use of the material for a propulsor. Various materials, including IPMCs, are investigated and a simplified propulsor model is explored.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제4권5호
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• pp.549-563
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• 2008

The ability of an electroactive polymer, IPMC (Ionic Polymer Metal Composites,) to produce electric charge under mechanical deformations may be exploited for the development of next generation of energy harvesters. Two different electrode types (gold and platinum) were employed for the experiments. The sample was tested under dynamic conditions, produced through programmed shaking. In order to evaluate the potential of IPMC for dry condition, these samples were treated with ionic liquid. Three modes of mechanical deformations (bending, tension and shear) were analyzed. Experimental results clearly indicate that IPMCs are attractive applicants for energy harvesting, with inherent advantages like flexibility, low cost, negligible maintenance and virtually infinite longevity. Besides, preliminary energy harvesting model of IPMC has been formulated based upon the work of previous investigators (Newbury 2002, Newbury and Leo 2002, Lee, et al. 2005, Konyo, et al. 2004) and the simulation results reciprocate experimental results within acceptable error.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2005년도 추계학술대회논문집
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• pp.723-726
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• 2005

The two major obstacles in the application of IPMC to flapping actuators operated in the air are solvent loss and actuation force. In this paper, solvent loss of various IPMCs made of Nafion$^{TM}$117(183$\mu$m thickness) has been experimentally investigated to find out the best combination of cation and solvent for minimal solvent loss in IPMCs and higher actuation force. For this purpose. experiments for the internal solvent loss measurement of IMPCs have been conducted for various combinations of cation and solvent. From the experiments, it was found that heavy water showed improvement in the operating time up to more than two minutes. in the tip force measurement of IPMCs, it was found that smaller and thicker IPMCs produced larger tip forces. However, the shorter IPMCs generated reduced actuation displacements and created flapping motion with decreased natural frequency. For the design of flapping device actuated by 5mm wide, 10mm long, 0.2mm thick IPMCs were used in the stacked form. Since the actuation force is a few gram-force, we stacked five IPMCs to improve actuation force. To amply the actuation force, rack-and-pin ion type hinge was used for the flapping device and insect (Cicadidae) wing was attached to the stacked IPMC actuator. In the flapping test, the device could generate flapping angle of 15$^{\circ}$ at 6Hz excitation by 2.5 voltage square wave input.

• 폴리머
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.434-439
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• 2012

이온성 고분자-금속 복합체(ionic polymer-metal composite, IPMC) 구동기의 구동성능 향상을 위해 전기방사를 통해 제조된 나피온/전도성 나노입자 웹을 나피온 필름의 양면에 접합시켜 전해질막을 개질하였다. 전도성 나노입자는 다층탄소나노튜브(multiwalled carbon nanotube, MWNT)와 은 나노입자가 사용되었으며, 이를 각각 나피온 용액에 분산시켜 전기방사하였다. 개질된 IPMC는 향상된 구동변위, 응답속도 및 구동력을 나타내었으며 은 나노입자에 비해 MWNT가 더욱 뛰어난 구동변위와 구동력을 유도하였고, 전도성 나노입자가 포함되지 않은 전기방사 웹을 적용한 경우에도 성능향상이 관찰되었다. 제조된 IPMC의 우수한 구동성능은 전기방사 웹의 다공성에 의한 전해액 이동의 용이성, 고분산된 전도성 나노입자에 의해 유도된 높은 전기용량 및 낮은 전극 저항 때문인 것으로 분석되었다.

• 폴리머
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• 제30권6호
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• pp.471-477
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• 2006

이온성 고분자-금속 복합체(ionic polymer metal composite, IPMC)는 낮은 구동 전압에서도 비교적 빠른 응답 속도를 갖는 전기활성고분자(electro active polymer, EAP) 재료이다. IPMC는 인간의 근육과 유사한 인성 및 변형 특성을 나타내므로 최근 인공근육용 구동체 개발을 위한 많은 연구들이 진행되어 왔으며, 또한 우주항공, 센서 및 펌프 등의 다양한 분야에서 적용가능성이 조사되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 액상 내피온을 이용하여 용액 캐스팅 방법으로 다양한 두께의 내피온 막을 제조하는 방법을 도입하였다. IPMC 제조방법은 Oguro가 제안한 방법을 기초로 하여 도금온도를 변화시켜 무전해 도금법을 이용하여 내피온 내부로의 1차 전극을 형성시켰으며, 형성된 1차 전극의 안정성과 표면전기저항을 낮추기 위하여 이온빔보조증착법(ion beam assisted deposition, IBAD)을 도입하여 금과 이리듐을 1차 전극표면 위에 증착하여 2차 전극을 형성시켰다. 1, 2차 무전해 도금한 IPMC와 2차 IBAD 코팅한 IPMC 전극의 표면과 단면 형상을 SEM으로 관찰하였으며, 전압을 인가할 때 IPMC 내부의 수분증발 및 이온전도도의 변화를 조사하였다. 또한 다양한 두께의 IPMC를 제조하여 두께변화에 따른 변위와 구동력을 측정하였다.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제32권10호
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• pp.865-871
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• 2015

This study was conducted in order to develop a finger exoskeleton system using ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) as the actuator and sensor in a hybrid structure. To use the IPMC as an actuator producing large force, a first order transfer function was obtained using results from a block force for DC excitation that applied to two IPMCs of 20mm-width, 50mm-length, and 2.4mm thickness together. After which the validation of 200gf control with anti-windup PI controller was confirmed. A 5mm-width, 50mm-length, 0.6mm-thickness of IPMC was also modeled as a sensor for tip displacement. As a result, the IPMC sensor could been utilized as a trigger role for the actuator. Finally, an IPMC sensor and actuator were installed on the joint of a single DOF exoskeleton in the hybrid structure, and test for the control of 40gf of block force and predefined sequence of motion was performed.

• Macromolecular Research
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• 제17권12호
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• pp.1032-1038
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• 2009

A polypyrrole (PPy)/alumina composite filler prepared via in-situ polymerization of pyrrole on alumina particles was incorporated into $Nafion^{(R)}$ to improve the performance of ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuators. The IPMCs with the pristine PPy without alumina support did not show bending displacements superior to that of the bare Nafion-based IPMC, except at a high PPy content of 4 wt%. This result was attributed to the low redox efficiency of the PPy alone in the IPMC and may have also been related to the modulus of the IPMC. However, at the optimized filler contents, the cyclic displacement of the IPMCs bearing the PPy/alumina filler was 2.2 times larger than that of the bare Nafion-based IPMC under an applied AC potential of 3 Vat 1 Hz. Even under a low AC potential of 1.5 V at 1 Hz, the displacement of the PPy/alumina-based IPMCs was a viable level of performance for actuator applications and was 2.7 times higher than that of the conventional Nafion-based IPMC. The generated blocking force was also improved with the PPy/aiumina composite filler. The greatly enhanced performance and the low-voltage-operational characteristic of the IPMCs bearing the PPy/alumina filler were attributed to the synergic effects of the neighboring alumina moiety near the PPy moiety involving electrochemical redox reactions.

• Composites Research
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.247-264
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• 2024

최근 전기 활성 고분자 (EAP) 액추에이터는 그들의 유연성, 경량성, 그리고 단순한 제작 과정 덕분에 소프트 로봇, 생체 모방 기술, 웨어러블 장치, 햅틱 기술 등 다양한 분야에서 높은 활용도를 보여주고 있다. 뿐만 아니라, 전기 활성 고분자 액추에이터들은 기능성 재료 및 혁신적 기술과의 결합을 통해 새로운 기능과 특성을 가진 스마트 기기로 발전하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 전기 활성 고분자를 이온성 전기 활성 고분자와 전기적 활성 고분자로 분류하였다. 이온성 전기 활성 고분자에는 대표적으로 이온성 금속-고분자 복합재 (IPMCs), 전도성 고분자 (CPs) 액추에이터가 소개되며, 전기적 활성 고분자에는 유전성 탄성체 액추에이터 (DEAs), 강유전 고분자 액추에이터, 그리고 최근 발표된 유압증폭 자가치유 정전 (HASEL) 액추에이터가 소개된다. 각각의 액추에이터에 대한 메커니즘, 구조, 성능 개선 방안 및 기능성 추가 방법 및 응용 분야에 대한 내용을 최신 연구를 바탕으로 상세히 설명하였다.

• 공업화학
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• 제17권6호
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• pp.586-590
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• 2006

전기활성 고분자로서 이온성고분자-금속복합체(Ionic Polymer metal Composites, IPMC)는 화학적 환원방법으로 비교적 쉽게 제조하여 낮은 구동전압에서도 큰 변위를 낼 수 있는 유연성을 지니는 스마트 소재(soft smart material) 중의 하나이다. 제조 시의 화학적 환원방법은 용액 내에서 반응시킴으로써 결과적으로 형성되는 다공성 고분자 막의 표면의 거칠기 때문에 구동체로서의 IPMC의 동작특성에 결함을 줄 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 IPMC의 표면의 거칠기에 대한 구동 특성을 비교하고 표면 조도를 향상시키는 방안으로 표면 이온빔 보조 증착법으로 표면을 개질하였다. 이러한 표면 개질 효과로 인해 IPMC 전극의 표면 저항을 낮추고 반응 속도를 증가시킬 수 있었고, 표면 조도, 모폴로지, 구동력 등을 측정하여 향상된 구동 현상을 나타내는 제조방법에 대한 연구를 하였다.