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ELECTROACTIVE AND ELECTROSTRUCTURED ELASTOMERS
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References
2001
Year
Materials ScienceElectroactive MaterialElectroactive ElastomersEngineeringSoft RoboticsElasticity (Physics)Electroactive PolymersPolymer ScienceMechanical EngineeringElectrostructured ElastomersPolymer-based MagnetLiquid Crystalline ElastomerNanostructured PolymerRheologyElectric FieldSoft MatterSolid Particles
Electroactive elastomers are composites of solid particles embedded in an elastomeric network whose mechanical or optical properties can be altered by electric or magnetic fields, linking them to ER/MR fluids and offering potential for various applications. The study aims to explore how pre‑polymerization field‑induced organization of filler particles in carbonyl iron and silica‑filled elastomers influences their magnetic and optical responses, with discussion of potential applications. Finite‑element modeling was used to quantify magnetic forces between particles and predict the resulting changes in elastic properties. Results show that the elastic response of carbonyl iron‑filled elastomers is highly sensitive to the pre‑polymerization suspension structure, while silica‑filled elastomers can modulate laser transmission through shear‑induced reorientation of electrically aligned particles.
Electroactive elastomers are composites made of solid particles embedded in an elastomeric network whose mechanical or optical properties can be changed by the application of an electric or a magnetic field. These materials have obviously a strong connection with ER and MR fluids and can be more appropriated for some applications. We present recent results concerning two kinds of filled elastomer, one based on carbonyl iron particles and the second one on silica particles. In the first case we show that that change of elastic properties obtained by the application of a magnetic field depend dramatically on the way we have structured the suspension before the polymerization. We explain quantitatively these experimental results with the help of finite element calculation to predict the magnetic forces between the particles. In the second case we show how it is possible to modulate the transmission of a laser beam by shearing a thin elastomeric film whose particles have been initially aligned with the help of an electric field. Some applications related to the organization of the filler particles by the application of a field or a combination of a field and a flow before polymerization will be discussed.