New electrode materials for dielectric elastomer actuators

Abstract

Dielectric elastomer actuators exert strain due to an applied electric field. With advantageous properties such as high efficiency and their light weight, these actuators are attractive for a variety of applications ranging from biomimetic robots, medical prosthetics to conventional pumps and valves. The performance and reliability however, are limited by dielectric breakdown which occurs primarily from localized defects inherently present in the polymer film during actuation. These defects lead to electric arcing, causing a short circuit that shuts down the entire actuator and can lead to actuator failure at fields significantly lower than the intrinsic strength of the material. This limitation is particularly a problem in actuators using large-area films. Our recent studies have shown that the gap between the strength of the intrinsic material and the strength of large-area actuators can be reduced by electrically isolating defects in the dielectric film. As a result, the performance and reliability of dielectric elastomers actuators can be substantially improved.