Electrically activated artificial muscles made with liquid crystal elastomers

Mohsen Shahinpoor

doi:10.1117/12.387777

7 June 2000 Electrically activated artificial muscles made with liquid crystal elastomers

Mohsen Shahinpoor

Proceedings Volume 3987, Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD); (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.387777
Event: SPIE's 7th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2000, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

Composites of monodomain nematic liquid crystal elastomers and a conducting material distributed within their network are shown to exhibit large deformations, i.e. contraction, expansion, bending with strains of over 200% and appreciable force, by Joule heating through electrical activation. The electrical activation of the conducting material induces a rapid Joule heating in the sample leading to a nematic to isotropic phase transition where the elastomer of dimensions 32 mm x 7 mm x 0.4 mm contracted in less than a second. The cooling process, isotropic to nematic transition where the elastomer expands back to its original length, was slow and took 8 seconds. The material studied here is a highly novel liquid crystalline co-elastomer, invented and developed by Heino Finkelmann and co-workers at Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet in Freiburg, Germany. The material is such that in which the mesogenic units are in both the side chains and the main chains of the elastomer. This co-elastomer was then mechanically loaded to induce a uniaxial network anisotropy before the cross-linking reaction was completed. These samples were then made into a composite with a conducting material such as dispersed silver particles or graphite fibers. The final samples was capable of undergoing more than 200% reversible strain in a few seconds.

Citation Download Citation

Mohsen Shahinpoor "Electrically activated artificial muscles made with liquid crystal elastomers", Proc. SPIE 3987, Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD), (7 June 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.387777

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available