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Significantly Enhanced Actuation Performance of IPMC by Surfactant-Assisted Processable MWCNT/Nafion Composite |
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| Authors: | Qingsong He Min Yu Dingshan Yu Yan Ding Zhendong Dai |
| Institution: | 1. Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics,Nanjing 210016, P.R.China ;College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P.R.China 2. Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics,Nanjing 210016, P.R.China;Department of Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland 44106, USA 3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland 44106, USA 4. Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics,Nanjing 210016, P.R.China |
| Abstract: | The performance of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite (IPMC) actuator was significantly enhanced by incorporating surfactant-assisted processable Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) into a Nafion solution. Cationic surfactant Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) was employed to disperse MWCNTs in the Nafion matrix, forming a homogeneous and stable dispersion of nanotubes. The processing did not involve any strong acid treatment and thus effectively preserved the excellent electronic properties associated with MWCNT. The as-obtained MWCNT/Nafion-IPMC actuator was tested in terms of conductivity, bulk and surface morphology, blocking force and electric current. It was shown that the blocking force and the current of the new IPMC are 2.4 times and 1.67 times higher compared with a pure Nafion-based IPMC. Moreover, the MWCNT/IPMC performance is much better than previously reported Nafion-IPMC doped by acid-treated MWCNT. Such significantly improved performance should be attributed to the improvement of electrical property associated with the addition of MWCNTs without acid treatment. |
| Keywords: | ionic polymer metal composite homogeneous actuator conductivity cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide multi-walled carbon nanotube |
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