Fabrication and evaluation of stacked polymer actuator and divided polymer actuator using the electrospinning method

In our studies, electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators were developed using composite nanofiber electrode films fabricated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene. In order to improve the capacitance and displacement as well as the generated stress, two EAP actuators were stacked. The generated stress of stacked actuators was near twice the generated stress of non-stacked actuators. However, the displacement of the stacked actuators was smaller than that of the non-stacked one. Also, For the development of the EAP actuators with complex motion, Au sputtered film on the electrode film of the EAP actuator was divided. When reversed-phase voltages were applied to the divided Au sputtered film, the divided regions of the EAP actuator moved in opposite directions. (c) 2020 The Japan Society of Applied Physics