The Prepartion And Performance Research Of IPMC Based On The Random Copolymer Of P(MMA-co-AA)

As a kind of Electro-active materials, Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMC) has a broad application prospects in the field of biomimetic materials, artificial muscles and microrobots. IPMC shows bending deformation under an electric field, it can be used as an actuator; Inversely, when mechanical load (bending moment) is applied on the IPMC, electric potential difference between the two sides of IPMC appeared, and it can be used as a sensor.As soft actuator, IPMC has several advantages like low driving voltage, high flexibility, fast response, large power density under the electric field, amenable miniaturization and other characteristics. Currently, it has been utilize on many fields such as medical devices (like artificial hearts), space exploration, microrobots, micro-electro-mechanical system, making it a very promising new material.Nowadays, commercial perfluorinated polymer like Nafion is commonly used as the matrix polymer, and precious metals like Pt, Au as the electrodes of IPMC. But certain drawbacks such as high cost and possible pollution of fluorum containing materials have limited its potential applications. It is important to develop develop alternative proton conductive materials and electrodes for the industry of IPMC.Based on the structure of materials, serials of ionic polymer are design and synthesized including poly (methyl methacrylate - acrylic acid), modified chitosan, and crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol. By the film-forming and water-soluble studies of these polymers, the poly (methyl methacrylate - acrylic acid) and crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol have been selected, and then synthesized polymers with different monomer ratio. The relation between the structure and properties of ionic polymer is studied.Electrode materials are studied to reduce the costs and simplify the fabricating procedure. Two-step and Three-step methods are used respectively to fabricate the IPMC according to the electrodes used. If the electrodes are made using chemical plating, the Two-step method is used and if they are made using physical blending, the Three-step method is used.It is found that the actuation behaviour of new IPMC is influenced by the type of electrode, the shape of IPMC membrane, the strength and frequency of signal.