Fabrication and Actuation of Cu-Ionic Polymer Metal Composite

Abstract

In this study, Cu-Ionic polymer metal composites (Cu-IPMC) were fabricated using the electroless plating method. The properties of Cu-IPMC in terms of morphology, water loss rate, adhesive force, surface resistance, displacements, and tip forces were evaluated under direct current voltage. In order to understand the relationship between lengths and actuation properties, we developed two static models of displacements and tip forces. The deposited Cu layer is uniform and smooth and contains about 90% by weight of copper, according to the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis data obtained. The electrodes adhere well (level of 5B) on the membrane, to ensure a better conductivity and improve the actuation performance. The penetration depth of needle-like electrodes can reach up to around 70 μm, and the structure shows concise without complex branches, to speed up the actuation. Overall the maximum displacement increased as the voltage increased. The applied voltage for the maximum force output is 8–9 V. The root mean square error (RMSE) and determination coefficient (DC) of the displacement and force models are 1.66 and 1.23, 0.96 and 0.86, respectively.