• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1497-1502
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• 2012

To manufacture a robot hand that essentially mimics the functions of a human hand, it is necessary to develop flexible actuators and sensors. In this study, we propose the design, manufacture, and performance verification of flexible actuators and sensors based on Electro Active Polymer (EAP). EAP is fabricated as a type of film, and it moves with changes in the voltage because of contraction and expansion in the polymer film. Furthermore, if a force is applied to an EAP film, its thickness and effective area change, and therefore, the capacitance also changes. By using this mechanism, we produce capacitive actuators and sensors. In this study, we propose an EAP-based capacitive sensor and evaluate its use as a robot hand sensor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.286.2-286.2
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• 2013

기존의 이온성 고분자-금속 복합체(IPMC)는 백금(Pt)전극을 이온성 전기활성 고분자(Ionic electroactive polymer)인 나피온에 무전해 도금으로 만들어졌다. 본 연구는 백금전극을 그래핀으로 대체하여 투명 이온성 고분자-그래핀 복합체(IPGC)를 제작하였다. 그래핀은 근적외선 화학기상증착법(NIR-CVD)으로 전이금속 (Cu, Ni) 위에 탄화수소 가스(CH4)를 이용하여 성장하였다. 전이 금속위에 성장된 그래핀을 나피온 양쪽면에 van der Waals 결합력을 이용하는 습식 전이공정으로 전극을 형성하였다. IPGC는 면 저항(4-point probe), 투과도(UV/Vis spectrometer) 및 라만 분광법(Micro Raman spectroscopy)의 측정으로 그래핀 전극의 특성평가를 하였고, 전계방사 주사전자현미경(Field Emisson Scanning Electron Microscope; FE-SEM)을 사용하여 IPGC의 구조적 특성을 확인하였다. 제작된 IPGC의 성능은 백금전극을 이용한 IPMC의 변위(displacement), 힘(force), 작동 주파수(Operating frequency) 분석을 통해 비교 평가하였다.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2017

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites, which are made by combining a continuous fiber that acts as reinforcement and a homogeneous polymeric material that acts as a host, are engineering materials with high strength and stiffness and a lightweight structure. In this study, a shape memory alloy(SMA) reinforced composite actuator is presented. This actuator is used to generate large deformations in single lightweight structures and can be used in applications requiring a high degree of adaptability to various external conditions. The proposed actuator consists of numerous individual laminas of the glass-fiber fabric that are embedded in a polymeric matrix. To characterize its deformation behavior, the composition of the actuator was changed by changing the matrix material and the number of the glass-fiber fabric layers. In addition, current of various magnitudes were applied to each actuator to study the effect of the heating of SMA wires on applying current.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.334-337
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• 2003

In this paper. we introduce a novel actuation method based on dielectric elastomer. Along with basic principles of actuation using dielectric elastomer a new design of actuator is discussed. The proposed design has advantageous features in reduction in size, speed of response, ease and ruggedness of operation. Using the actuator. a three-degree-of-freedom actuator module is developed, which can provide up-down. and two rotational degree-of-freedom motion. In the application of the proposed actuation method, a micro-robot mimicking the motion of an inchworm is developed.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.434-439
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• 2012

To improve the performance of ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuators, Nafion films sandwiched with Nafion/conducting nanoparticulate electrospun webs were used as polymer electrolytes of IPMC. Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) and silver were the conducting nanoparticulates and the nanoparticles dispersed in a Nafion solution were electrospun. IPMCs with the Nafion/conducting nanoparticulate electrospun webs displayed improved displacements, response rates, and blocking forces. MWNT was superior to silver in terms of displacement and blocking force, and the webs without the conducting fillers also caused enhanced performances compared with the conventional IPMCs. These improvements were attributed to an elevated electrolyte flux through highly porous interlayers and capacitance induced by well dispersed conducting fillers, and low interfacial resistance between electrolyte and electrodes.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.826-832
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• 2001

In this study, PPy/gold/mylar type electroactive bi-layer actuator was prepared by the electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole onto the gold/mylar film and the actuation characteristics were studied using bending beam method. Conducting polymer-based actuators undergo volumetric changes due to the movement of dopant ions into the film during the electrical oxidation process. The bilayer films exhibited different actuation characteristics depending on dopant ion size. It was observed that the relatively small dopant ion (i.e. toluene sulfonate) moved into the PPy film at oxidized state, so volume expanded to result in bending motion. In case of the film having large dopant ion (i.e. dodecylbenzenesulfonate), volume expansion was observed at reduced state. This is due to the incorporation of $Na^+$ counterion with water molecules, while the large dopant ion was fixed in the film due to the limited mobility during tile redox process.

• Composites Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.289-294
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• 2013

A thinner is used to improve the multi-walled carbon nano-tube (CNT) and carbon black (CB) dispersion in a polymer matrix and to make a soft electrode. The electrical and mechanical properties of the soft electrodes are investigated as functions of CNT, CB and thinner content. The optimal mixing condition for the electrode is thinner 80, CNT 3.5, CB 18 (phr) on the basis of matrix (KE-12). The specific resistance of that is 73 (${\Omega}{\cdot}cm$), and tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation of that is 0.45 MPa, 0.21 MPa, and 184%, respectively. Also, a simple structure of the actuator with an optimized electrode and elastomer is fabricated and its characteristic is evaluated. At the operating voltage 25 kV, the displacement of an elastomer KE-12 is 2.24 mm, and that of an elastomer KE-12 with thinner 50 (phr) is 4.05 mm. It shows a higher displacement compared to that of 3M 4910 which has similar modulus. The actuator made with elastomer and electrode of the same material (KE-12) may have advantages for fatigue life and application.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.168.1-168.1
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• 2013

고분자유기물로 사용되는 발광층에 탄소나노튜브를 합성하여 AC로 구동되는 고분자유기물소자를 제작하였다. 고분자유기물소자는 총 4개의 층(ITO/CRS/탄소나노튜브를 함유한 MEH-PPV/Al)으로 구성하였다. ITO가 코팅된 유리기판 위에 발광층을 보호하는 역할을 하는 절연층[cyanoethyl pullulan(CRS)], 유기발광물질인 poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene](MEH-PPV)에 탄소나노튜브의 함량을 조절하여 발광층으로 사용하였으며, 절연층과 발광층은 스핀코우터를 이용하여 증착하다. 마지막으로 thermal evaporator을 이용하여 Al을 증착하였다. 고분자유기물소자는 발광층에 함유된 탄소나노튜브에 함량에 따른 전압, 전류 그리고 밝기 특성을 분석하였다. 탄소나노튜브가 0.015wt% 함유된 고분자유기물소자에서 최대 밝기 특성과 낮은 소비전력을 얻을 수 있었다. 고분자유기물에 탄소나노튜브를 합성된 효과를 알아보기 위하여 임피던스분석을 통하여 고분자유기물소자의 저항, 캐패시턴스, 기생저항을 알아보았다. 고분자유기물소자의 캐패시턴스의 변화는 탄소나노튜브와 고분자 유기물(polymer-CNT matrix) 에서 생성되는 블록들이 매우 얇은 유전층을 구성할 것으로 예상되며 이는 micro-capacitance로 고분자유기물소자의 구동에 영향을 미치는 것으로 예상된다. AC구동 고분자유기물소자에 탄소나노튜브를 함유하여 높은 효율을 얻을 수 있는 장점으로 차세대 디스플레이나 조명으로 탄소나노튜브의 쓰임새를 기대해 본다.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.736-743
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• 2001

An electro- active polymer (EAP) (poly(2-acrylamido-2- methyl propane sulfonic acid), PAMPS) gel crosslinked with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) has been prepared by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution with potassium persulfate as initiator PAMPS gel was swollen in surfactant solution to substitute surfactant for using as actuator. PAMPS gel showed a large movement in the surfactant solution by electric field. PAMPS gel showed the reversible binding and fast response rate. Bending mechanism of gel is related to the cooperative process of hydrophobic interaction, swelling-deswelling of gel and the electrostatic attraction between anode (+) and the anions of PAMPS gel. The response rate of PAMPS gel was increased as the applied potential and the degree of cross-linkage were increased. The response rate was increased as the bending cycle was repeated, but it was decreased with increasing the gel thickness.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.1521-1526
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• 2008

IPMC(Ionic Polymer-Metal Comosite) exhibits large deformation, having great attention in many application fields. It generates bending moment by ion exchange polymer film. It can be quickly bended by the applied voltage across the plated electrode of the polymer film. In the present paper, we derive the theoretical modeling and dynamic analysis of bending motions of IPMC actuators using the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The theoretical model of a cantilever IPMC actuator estimates the moment produced by the applied voltage. The dynamic characteristics, including natural frequencies and frequency response, are calculated by the theoretical model, and they are compared with the experimental results and finite element analysis. It is shown that the mathematical modeling allows precise estimation to the voltage-driven motion of the cantilever IPMC in air.