Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Yuchen Zuo, Junshi Zhang, Lei Liu, Jihong Zhu, Weihong Zhang
Summary: In this work, a method is proposed to achieve tunable direction and magnitude of electromechanical deformation of DE membranes by adjusting the unequal-biaxial prestretch ratio and rotation angle. The designed anisotropic DEA enables versatile electromechanical actuation in both the planar 2D and the spatial 3D structures.
SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Junshi Zhang, Liling Tang, Lei Liu, Jianwen Zhao, Zhichun Yang, Pengfei Li
Summary: The research investigates the impact of humidity on the electromechanical performance of viscoelastic dielectric elastomers (DE) by analyzing the dependency relationships between various parameters and relative humidity. The study explores the influence of humidity on the static and dynamic electromechanical behaviors as well as stability and resonant frequency of the DE system.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuchen Zuo, Yuxi Ding, Junshi Zhang, Mingliang Zhu, Lei Liu, Jianwen Zhao
Summary: The study found that the dynamic response of VHB 4905 elastomers is influenced by humidity, with the amplitude of dynamic deformation gradually increasing with humidity. Different parameters show diverse sensitivity to humidity. Additionally, humidity also affects the viscoelastic creeping of VHB 4905, with the equilibrium position of dynamic viscoelastic creep enlarging gradually with increasing humidity.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Wenju Wu, Yingjie Jiang, Meilin Zhong, Suting Liu, Bing Yu, Nanying Ning, Ming Tian, Liqun Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the effect of dielectric constant and elastic modulus on the energy harvesting performances of DEGs. The results show that the dielectric constant has a significant influence on the generated energy and energy density, while the elastic modulus has little effect.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chad M. Landis, Rui Huang, John W. Hutchinson
Summary: This paper investigates the stability issues of a dielectric elastomeric layer bonded to a stiff substrate and subjected to a voltage difference. The study focuses on the competition between wrinkling and creasing, which is influenced by the equi-biaxial pre-stretch of the layer. Numerical simulations reveal the existence of localized crease solutions and predict the presence of a finite energy barrier.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICS AND PHYSICS OF SOLIDS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Liyuan Yu, Dan Yang
Summary: In this study, BaTiO3 nanoparticles were modified by tannic acid and 3-mercapto-propylethoxy-bis(tridecyl-pentaethoxy-siloxane) to prepare BaTiO3-TA-Si747. The modified nanoparticles were then incorporated into the ENR matrix to prepare BaTiO3-TA-Si747-ENR for high actuated strains at a low electric field. The combination of non-covalent and covalent surface modification using TA and Si747 showed high efficiency, with potential industrial applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yanjun Li, Baiquan Lin, Xiangliang Zhang
Summary: In this study, the breakdown voltages of coal samples were tested at different temperatures using a self-developed coal rock PB system. The researchers established a general functional relationship between breakdown field and temperature. The pore structures of broken-down coal samples at different temperatures were analyzed, and the effects of temperature on breakdown delay, peak current, effective energy, and energy conversion efficiency were discussed. The results showed that the porosity and pore volumes of broken-down coal samples increased with temperature, and the voltage and current waveforms differed at different temperatures.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Leipeng Liu, Kangning Zhang, Jinru Liu, Lei Zhu, Ruiying Xie, Shenghua Lv
Summary: Dielectric elastomers are intelligent materials with potential applications in intelligent robots and bionic materials. Traditional dielectric elastomers require high driving field, which limits their applications. In this study, a new type of polyacrylate elastomer material is designed with enhanced dielectric constant and optimized elastic modulus. The elastomers show a high dielectric constant and large actuation performance.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Yongri Liang, Tongtong Cui, Li Liu
Summary: In this study, the microphase separated morphology of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers was controlled by adjusting the content of four-armed polycaprolactone chain extenders, leading to a J-shaped stress-strain curve with low modulus and high electromechanical properties. The presence of long-chain branched structure significantly affected the hydrogen bonding and crystallization within the material, influencing its mechanical and actuation properties. The results highlighted the importance of the polymer network structure in exhibiting the desired stress-strain behavior, providing insights for the development of high-performance dielectric polyurethane elastomers.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Mengmeng Han, Ling Liu, Jinming Yuan, Liqun Zhang
Summary: In this study, ternary silicone dielectric elastomer micro-nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles or Si747-modified BT (BT-Si747) and hexagonal boron nitride (BN) microplatelets into methyl vinyl silicone rubber (MVSR). The addition of BN platelets as physical barriers improved the dispersion of BT nanoparticles, leading to higher electric breakdown field in the composites. The use of Si747 enhanced interfacial interaction and mechanical properties of the composites, resulting in higher tensile strength and elongation at break compared to composites without Si747. The prepared MVSR/BT-Si747/BN composites showed improved actuation performance under lower electric fields, making them promising for applications in dielectric actuators.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kui Di, Kunwei Bao, Haojie Chen, Xinjun Xie, Jianbo Tan, Yixing Shao, Yongxiang Li, Wenjun Xia, Zisheng Xu, E. Shiju
Summary: The dielectric elastomer generator (DEG) is a promising technology for electromechanical conversion, with high energy density, fast response, and light weight. DEG prototypes have been developed for collecting mechanical energy in various applications, from small-scale wind and human motion energy to large-scale wave energy. Challenges and perspectives for DEG in mechanical energy harvesting are discussed for its importance in the future.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Peng Zhang, Xuan Wang, Jiaming Yang, Yongqi Zhang
Summary: The study demonstrated that acetylation reaction on SEBS to create acetophenone group can enhance the mechanical toughness of PP and improve the electrical tree resistance and AC breakdown strength of SEBS/PP. The optimal performance was observed when the acetylation level of Ac-SEBS was 4.6%.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhanxu Liu, Bangze Zhou, Chenchen Li, Yuhao Wang, Shipeng Wen, Yanfen Zhou, Liang Jiang, Fenglei Zhou, Anthony Betts, Stephen Jerrams
Summary: In this study, a 3D additive processing technology called electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing was used to fabricate dielectric elastomer (DE) films using styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) inks with added titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles modified with walnut polyphenols. The printed films showed improved dispersibility of TiO2 nanoparticles in the SEBS matrix and excellent mechanical, dielectric, and electromechanical properties. Among the DEs fabricated, the SEBS/10%wp-TiO2 composite exhibited a maximum actuated area strain of 21.5% at an electric field of about 34.0 V/μm without degradation of other properties.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Liling Tang, Yuxi Ding, Lei Liu, Junshi Zhang
Summary: In this article, a method is proposed to achieve the pure shear deformation mode of dielectric elastomer membranes by tuning two in-plane prestresses. The designed deformation controller accurately realizes the specific pure shear deformation mode of DEs and can be utilized to help design practical soft actuators, achieving large deformations without electromechanical instabilities.
SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zheqi Chen, Youhua Xiao, Jinwei Fang, Jin He, Yang Gao, Junjie Zhao, Xiang Gao, Yingwu Luo
Summary: By utilizing a well-designed pentablock copolymer, the challenge of reducing the actuation voltage of electrically active dielectric elastomer has been addressed. The pentablock copolymer with suitable composition exhibits a rare combination of ultrasonic-yet-strong properties. This allows for the convenient fabrication of an ultrathin actuator that is highly responsive to low voltage.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
