Development of ionic polymer actuator arrays

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC) are bending type actuators which are soft, and show large deformation at low voltage. This work explored the creation of IPMC actuator arrays to take advantage of the unique features of IPMCs, in applications such as pump and valve arrays for micro-fluidic devices, microwave switch arrays etc. In the design of the arrays, the concept of integration is key, to make the actuator array reliable, compact and scalable. The arrays are created as a single physical part, by electrode patterning on the ionic polymer and material engineering. Gold chemical plating was used to create the flexible electrodes with large capacitance on Flemion and Nafion. Patterning was done with masks created in various ways. Nafion, because of its high flexibility, can be made into diaphragm actuators with very good dynamic properties. Flemion in cantilever mode was found to generate large forces without relaxation, a key feature for the design of IPMC switches and valves. A new electrode fabrication technique was developed based on plasma polymerization on an amine monomer on the membrane and subsequent self assembly of Au colloids. A 14-micron thick Flemion sample with 10 layers of 13nm diameter Au colloids showed actuation at +/-1.5V. The demonstration of actuation of IPMC with self-assembled electrodes is a milestone for the future application of IPMC to MEMS. Finally the actuation mechanisms of Nafion and Flemion were modeled. Two dominant contributions in the actuation of IPMC were considered: electro-osmosis, and equilibrium volume which can change upon cation redistribution. A large volume transition upon pH change was observed for Flemion, whereas Nafion proved indifferent to pH. It is proposed that Flemion is generally weakly ionized and has many ionic groups in acid form. Upon cation redistribution, this structure is perturbed and the ionization increases at the cathode side because of the increase in sodium concentration, leading to an increase in equilibrium volume at the cathode and permanent bending. Nafion is always fully ionized and therefore does not show such transition. Its actuation is believed to be dominated by electro-osmosis through its highly swollen network of ionic clusters and channels.