View source for Electroactive Polymers

[[Category:Smart Materials]]
[[Category:Electrical engineering]]
[[Category:Robotics]]
[[Category:Automation]]

Electroactive polymers, or [[EAP]]s, are [[polymers]] that exhibit a change in size or shape when stimulated by an electric field. The most common applications of this type of material are in actuators[1] and sensors. A typical characteristic property of an EAP is that they will undergo a large amount of deformation while sustaining large forces.

The majority of historic actuators are made of [[ceramic piezoelectric]] materials. While these materials are able to withstand large forces, they commonly will only deform a fraction of a percent. In the late 1990s, it has been demonstrated that some EAPs can exhibit up to a 380% strain, which is much more than any ceramic actuator. One of the most common applications for EAPs is in the field of robotics in the development of artificial muscles; thus, an electroactive polymer is often referred to as an [[artificial muscle]].

=Synonyms=
[[EPA]]
=Application=

=Cross-References=
[[Pneumatic Artificial Muscle]]

=Recommended Reading=
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroactive_polymers Wikipedia EPA]

*"Bar-Cohen, Yoseph: "Artificial Muscles using Electroactive Polymers (EAP): Capabilities, Challenges and Potential" (PDF).

*Wang, T.; Farajollahi, M.; Choi, Y.S.; Lin, I.T.; Marshall, J.E.; Thompson, N.M.; Kar-Narayan, S.; Madden, J.D.W.; Smoukov, S.K. (2016). "Electroactive polymers for sensing". 6 (4): 1–19. doi:10.1098/rsfs.2016.0026.

*Keplinger, Christoph; Kaltenbrunner, Martin; Arnold, Nikita; Bauer, Siegfried (2010-03-09).

*"Röntgen's electrode-free elastomer actuators without electromechanical pull-in instability". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 107 (10): 4505–4510. doi:10.1073/pnas.0913461107. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 2825178free to read. PMID 20173097.

*"Electrochemistry Encyclopedia: Electroactive Polymers (EAP)".

*Finkenstadt,Victoria L. (2005). "Natural polysaccharides as electroactive polymers.". Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 67 (6): 735–745. doi:10.1007/s00253-005-1931-4. PMID 15724215.

*Ali Eftekhari (2010). "Comment on "A Linear Actuation of Polymeric Nanofibrous Bundle for Artificial Muscles"". Chemistry of Materials. 22 (8): 2689. doi:10.1021/cm903343t.

*Feldman, Randy (2008-02-20). "Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle - A Polymer Based Generator?" (PDF). Thin Film Users Group. Northern California Chapter of the American Vacuum Society. Retrieved 2012-07-16.

*"Electroactive Polymer "Artificial Muscle"". SRI International. Retrieved 2012-07-16.

*"Ferroelectric Properties of Vinylidene Fluoride Copolymers," by T. Furukawa, in Phase Transitions, Vol. 18, pp. 143-211 (1989).

*Nalwa, H. (1995). Ferroelectric Polymers (First ed.). New York: Marcel Dekker, INC. ISBN 0-8247-9468-0.

*Lovinger, A.J. (1983). "Ferroelectric polymers.". Science. 220 (4602): 1115–1121. doi:10.1126/science.220.4602.1115. PMID 17818472.

*Wang, Youqi; Changjie Sun; Eric Zhou; Ji Su (2004). "Deformation Mechanisms of Electrostrictive Graft Elastomers". Smart Materials and Structures. Institute of Physics Publishing. 13: 1407–1413. doi:10.1088/0964-1726/13/6/011. ISSN 0964-1726.

*Ishige, Ryohei; Masatoshi Tokita; Yu Naito; Chun Ying Zhang; Junji Watanabe (January 22, 2008). "Unusual Formation of Smectic A Structure in Cross-Linked Monodomain Elastomer of Main-Chain LC Polyester with 3-Methylpentane Spacer".

*Macromolecules. American Chemical Society. 41 (7): 2671–2676. doi:10.1021/ma702686c.

*Qu, L.; Peng, Q.; Dai, L.; Spinks, G.M.; Wallace, G.G.; Baughman, R.H. (2008). "Carbon Nanotube Electroactive Polymer Materials: Opportunities and Challenges". MRS Bulletin. 33 (03): 215–224. doi:10.1557/mrs2008.47.ISSN 0883-7694

*Fully Plastic Actuator through Layer-by-Layer Casting with Ionic-Liquid-Based Bucky Gel Takanori Fukushima, Kinji Asaka, Atsuko Kosaka, Takuzo Aida p. Angewandte Chemie International Edition Volume 44, Issue 16 2410 2005

*Glass, J. Edward; Schulz, Donald N.; Zukosi, C.F (May 13, 1991). "1". Polymers as Rheology Modifiers. ACS Symposium Series. 462. Americal Chemical Society. pp. 2–17. ISBN 9780841220096.

*Nemat-Nasser, S.; Thomas, C. (2001). "6". In Yoseph Bar-Cohen. Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Actuators as Articifial Muscles-Reality, Potential and Challenges. SPIE Press. pp. 139–191.

*Shahinpoor, M.; Y. Bar-Cohen; T. Xue; J.O. Simpson; J. Smith (5 March 1996). "Ionic Polymer-Metal Composties (IPMC) As Biomimetic Sensors and Actuators" (PDF). SPIE. p. 17. Retrieved 6 April 2010.

*Park, I.S.; Jung, K.; Kim, D.; Kim, S.M; Kim, K.J. (2008). "Physical Principles of Ionic Polymer–Metal Composites as Electroactive Actuators and Sensors". MRS Bulletin. 33 (03): 190–195. doi:10.1557/mrs2008.44.ISSN 0883-7694

*Gerlach, G.; Arndt, K.-F. (2009). Hydrogel Sensors and Actuators (First ed.). Berlin: Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-75644-6.

*Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Kwang J Kim; Hyouk Ryeol Choi; John D W Madden (2007). "Electroactive Polymer Materials". Smart Materials and Structures. Institute of Physics Publishing. 16 (2). doi:10.1088/0964-1726/16/2/E01.

*Cowie, J.M.G.; Valerai Arrighi (2008). "13". Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern Material (Third ed.). Florida: CRC Press. pp. 363–373. ISBN 978-0-8493-9813-1.

*Kim, K.J.; Tadokoro, S. (2007). Electroactive Polymers for Robotic Applications, Artificial Muscles and Sensors. London: Springer. ISBN 978-1-84628-371-0.

*Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (11 September 2009). "Electroactive polymers for refreshable Braille displays". SPIE.

*Richter, A.; Paschew, G. (2009). "Optoelectrothermic Control of Highly Integrated Polymer-Based MEMS Applied in an Artificial Skin". Advanced Materials. 21 (9): 979–983. doi:10.1002/adma.200802737.

*Richter, A.; Klatt, S.; Paschew, G.; Klenke, C. (2009). "Micropumps operated by swelling and shrinking of temperature-sensitive hydrogels". Lab on a Chip. 9: 613–618. doi:10.1039/B810256B.

*Richter, A.; Kuckling, D.; Howitz, S.; Gehring, T; Arndt, K.-F. (2003). "Electronically controllable microvalves based on smart hydrogels: magnitudes and potential applications". Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems. 12 (5): 748–753. doi:10.1109/JMEMS.2003.817898.

*Yu, C., Mutlu, S., Selvaganapathy, P. Mastrangelo, C.H., Svec, F., Fréchet, J.M.J. (2003). "Flow control valves for analytical microfluidic chips without mechanical parts based on thermally responsive monolithic polymers". Analytical Chemistry. 75 (8): 1958–1961. doi:10.1021/ac026455j.

*"Hydrogel Micro Valves". GeSiM mbH. 2009.

*Richter, A.; Paschew, G.; Klatt, S.; Lienig, J.; Arndt, K.-F.; Adler, H.-J. (2008). "Review on Hydrogel-based pH Sensors and Microsensors". Sensors. 8 (1): 561–581. doi:10.3390/s8010561.

*Richter, A.; Türke, A.; Pich, A. (2007). "Controlled Double-Sensitivity of Microgels Applied to Electronically Adjustable Chemostats". Advanced Materials. 19 (8): 1109–1112. doi:10.1002/adma.200601989.

*Greiner, R., Allerdißen, M., Voigt, A., Richter A. (2012). "Fluidic microchemomechanical integrated circuits processing chemical information". Lab on a Chip. 12 (23): 5034–5044. doi:10.1039/C2LC40617A.

*"Electroactive Polymer Pumps". Discover technologies Inc. 7 June 2009.

*"Adaptive Membrane Optics". Discover technologies Inc. 7 June 2009.

*http://eap.jpl.nasa.gov/ NASA WorldWide Electroactive Polymer Actuators Webhub