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Yi J, Babick F, Strobel C, Rosset S, Ciarella L, Borin D, Wilson K, Anderson I, Richter A, Henke EFM. Characterizations and Inkjet Printing of Carbon Black Electrodes for Dielectric Elastomer Actuators. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:41992-42003. [PMID: 37611072 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c05444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have been proposed as a promising technology for developing soft robotics and stretchable electronics due to their large actuation. Among available fabrication techniques, inkjet printing is a digital, mask-free, material-saving, and fast technology, making it versatile and appealing for fabricating DEA electrodes. However, there is still a lack of suitable materials for inkjet-printed electrodes. In this study, multiple carbon black (CB) inks were developed and tested as DEA electrodes inkjet-printed on acrylic membranes (VHB). Triethylene glycol monomethyl ether (TGME) and chlorobenzene (CLB) were selected to disperse CB. The inks' stability, particle size, surface tension, viscosity, electrical resistance, and printability were characterized. The DEA with Ink-TGME/CLB (mixture solvent) electrodes obtained 80.63% area strain, a new benchmark for the DEA actuation with CB powder electrodes on VHB. The novelty of this work involves the disclosure of a new ink recipe (TGME/CLB/CB) for inkjet printing that can obtain stable drop formations with a small nozzle (17 × 17 μm), high resolution (∼25 μm, approaching the limit of drop-on-demand inkjet printing), and the largest area strain of DEAs under similar conditions, distinguishing this contribution from the previous works, which is important for the fabrication and miniaturization of DEA-based soft and stretchable electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianan Yi
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Babick
- Institute of Process Engineering and Environmental Technology, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Carsten Strobel
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Samuel Rosset
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Luca Ciarella
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Dmitry Borin
- Institute of Mechatronic Engineering, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Iain Anderson
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- PowerON Group, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- StretchSense Ltd., Auckland 1061, New Zealand
| | - Andreas Richter
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - E-F Markus Henke
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- PowerON Group, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Ouyang F, Guan Y, Yu C, Yang X, Cheng Q, Chen J, Zhao J, Zhang Q, Guo Y. An Optimization Design Method of Rigid-Flexible Soft Fingers Based on Dielectric Elastomer Actuators. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:2030. [PMID: 36422459 PMCID: PMC9693624 DOI: 10.3390/mi13112030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The soft gripper has received extensive attention, due to its good adaptability and flexibility. The dielectric elastomer (DE) actuator as a flexible electroactive polymer that provides a new approach for soft grippers. However, they have the disadvantage of having a poor rigidity. Therefore, the optimization design method of a rigid-flexible soft finger is presented to improve the rigidity of the soft finger. We analyzed the interaction of the rigid and soft materials, using the finite element method (FEM), and researched the influence of the parameters (compression of the spring and pre-stretching ratio of the DE) on the bending angle. The optimal parameters were obtained using the FEM. We experimentally verified the accuracy of the proposed method. The maximum bending angle is 19.66°. Compared with the theoretical result, the maximum error is 3.84%. Simultaneously, the soft gripper with three fingers can grasp various objects and the maximum grasping quality is 11.21 g.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuhao Ouyang
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Yuanlin Guan
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Chunyu Yu
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Xixin Yang
- School of Automation, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266017, China
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266017, China
| | - Qi Cheng
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Jiawei Chen
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Juan Zhao
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Qinghai Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Yang Guo
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
- Key Lab of Industrial Fluid Energy Conservation and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
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Jiang Y, Li Y, Yang H, Ning N, Tian M, Zhang L. Deep Insight into the Influences of the Intrinsic Properties of Dielectric Elastomer on the Energy-Harvesting Performance of the Dielectric Elastomer Generator. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13234202. [PMID: 34883708 PMCID: PMC8659657 DOI: 10.3390/polym13234202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The dielectric elastomer (DE) generator (DEG), which can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, has attracted considerable attention in the last decade. Currently, the energy-harvesting performances of the DEG still require improvement. One major reason is that the mechanical and electrical properties of DE materials are not well coordinated. To provide guidance for producing high-performance DE materials for the DEG, the relationship between the intrinsic properties of DE materials and the energy-harvesting performances of the DEG must be revealed. In this study, a simplified but validated electromechanical model based on an actual circuit is developed to study the relationship between the intrinsic properties of DE materials and the energy-harvesting performance. Experimental verification of the model is performed, and the results indicate the validity of the proposed model, which can well predict the energy-harvesting performances. The influences of six intrinsic properties of DE materials on energy-harvesting performances is systematically studied. The results indicate that a high breakdown field strength, low conductivity and high elasticity of DE materials are the prerequisites for obtaining high energy density and conversion efficiency. DE materials with high elongation at break, high permittivity and moderate modulus can further improve the energy density and conversion efficiency of the DEG. The ratio of permittivity and the modulus of the DE should be tailored to be moderate to optimize conversion efficiency (η) of the DEG because using DE with high permittivity but extremely low modulus may lead to a reduction in η due to the occurrence of premature “loss of tension”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Jiang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.J.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (L.Z.)
| | - Yujia Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.J.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (L.Z.)
| | - Haibo Yang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.J.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (L.Z.)
| | - Nanying Ning
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.J.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (L.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Correspondence: (N.N.); (M.T.)
| | - Ming Tian
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.J.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (L.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Correspondence: (N.N.); (M.T.)
| | - Liqun Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.J.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (L.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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