Electromechanical characteristics of actuators based on carbide-derived carbon

Abstract

An electromechanical actuator was prepared using non-ionic polymer, ionic liquid and carbide-derived carbon (CDC). Recently, simple layer-by-layer casting method for actuator production was discovered, using bucky gel mixture as the precursor of actuator electrode layers. In this paper we investigate carbide-derived carbon as a new alternative to carbon nanotubes to replace nanotubes in the electrode layer of the actuator. At the initial stage of the study, the ratio of nanoporous high surface TiC-derived carbon powder, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIBF4) and polymer (PVdF(HFP)) was varied and each formed electrode was analyzed to find the optimal composition. The results revealed that the optimal component ratio for electrodes is: 35 wt% PVdF(HFP), 35 wt% EMIBF4 and 30 wt% CDC. The assembled three layer actuators were characterized by measuring blocking force, maximum strain, speed, power consumption and capacitance. The synthesized actuator showed very good force and capacitive characteristics and it is preferable for slow-response applications compared to actuators based on carbon nanotubes.