Actuating potentialities of electroactive carbon nanopowder/polyurethane composites

摘要

In this paper, the electromechanical response of polyurethane (PU) films has been studied. In particular, the beneficial influence of carbon black incorporation in the polymer matrix on the electric field-induced was measured and discussed. The observed hyperelastic behaviour of both pure PU elastomer and carbon/PU composite was described using constitutive Ogden Model. Finite Element modeling was also performed in order to confirm the validity of the chosen model, assuming that actuation pressure is only due to electrostatic (Coulomb) forces at the electrodes. It also allowed to predict the strain and stress distributions in the polymer films and the influence of the electrode size. Finally, mechanical performances of pure PU and composite C/PU disk actuators are compared in terms of strain energy density and actuation pressure under quasistatic conditions (non linear actuator behaviour).