A Deformable Linear Dielectric Elastomer Actuator

Abstract

Dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) is a compact device that consists of stretchable electrodes and elastomers. This device is energy efficient in performance and holds great promise in the development of soft actuators. DEAs performance relies significantly on the mechanical properties of its elastomers. This present study focuses on evaluating the soft material made of Sylgard 184 as the elastomers for DEAs. Sylgard 184 is a silicone elastomer that comes with two main parts (elastomers and its curing agent). A specific mixing ratio between elastomers and curing agent is essential to produce solid and reliable silicone elastomer. The recommended ratio for the elastomer solution was ten parts for the elastomers and one part for the curing agent (10:1). Producing softer elastomers was possible by reducing the curing agent. However, the performance of the material was unknown. We performed a series of cyclic tensile tests to understand the mechanical characteristic of the elastomer made of Sylgard 184. The result shows that reducing the curing agent did not have a significant effect on its cyclic performance. Furthermore, the use of a 30:1 ratio in the application of DEAs and deformable linear actuator indicates stable performance for both devices.