Ion Concentration and Electromechanical Actuation Simulations of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites

K. J. Kim [1], T. Stalbaum [1], Q. Shen [1],
[1] Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Published in 2016

Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) materials are promising candidates for soft robotics and artificial muscle applications. The primary actuation mechanism in such devices is ion migration in a polymer membrane, localized swelling, and a corresponding overall material deformation, which is multiphysics in nature. Simulations were performed for a rectangular IPMC actuator in response to a sinusoidal input voltage. Cation migration simulations provide insight into the underlying physics of such devices.