• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.112-120
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• 2003

The composite of ionic polymer and metal has been fabricated and used for actuators. Platinum is deposited by electroless plating method onto the both sides of ionic polymer where ac voltage is applied. This results in the bending motion of a beam type actuator. In this paper, the fabrication method of ionic polymer-metal composite has been explained and the moving mechanism has been fabricated and measured using the ionic polymer-metal composite actuator. The moving mechanism is wireless type and the power is supplied through the rail electrodes in base plate. The maximum speed of the moving mechanism was about 24cm/min.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.116-120
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• 2009

The cellulose smart material called electro-active paper (EAPap) is made by regenerating cellulose. However, the actuator performance is degraded at low humidity levels. To solve this drawback, EAPap bending actuators were made by activating wet cellulose films in three different room-temperature ionic liquids: l-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexaflurophosphate ($BMIPF_6$), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMICL) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluroborate ($BMIBF_4$). In the results, the actuator performance was dependent on the type of anions in the ionic liquids, in the order of $BF_4$>Cl>$PF_6$. The BMIBF 4-activated actuator showed the maximum displacement of 3.8 mm with low electrical power consumption at relatively low humidity. However, the BMICL-activated actuator showed a slight degradation of actuator performance. Further performance and durability improvement will be possible once various ionic liquids are blended with cellulose.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.137-140
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• 2006

In order to overcome the weak actuation and relaxation problems during the deformation of IPMC actuator, polymeric anion (polystyrenesulfonate)-doped polypyrrole(Ppy(PSS)) was electrodeposited onto IPMC actuator. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance study showed that hydrated cations were instilled into Ppy(PSS) film and polymeric-anion dopants introduced during polymerization were not expelled. Ppy(PSS)-coated IPMC actuator formed two electrode/electrolyte interfaces, Pt/nafion and Ppy(PSS)/bulk solution, and additive volume expansion phenomena at interfaces induced the large deformation compensating the relaxation of actuation by back diffusion of water.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.24-30
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• 2008

The laminate IPMC actuator have been developed with a commercial Nafion film and platinum electrodes. Equivalent beam and equivalent bimorph beam models for IPMC(Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite) actuators are described. By using a beam equation with estimated physical properities and actuation displacements of a cantilevered IPMC actuator are estimated. And Finite element analysis(FEA) was done by ANSYS.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.981-990
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• 2004

Specialized propulsors for naval applications have numerous opportunities in terms of research, design and fabrication of an appropriate propulsor. One of the most important components of any propulsor is the actuator that provides the mode of locomotion. Ionomeric electro-active polymer may offer an attractive solution for locomotion of small propulsors. A common ionomeric electro-active polymer, ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPHCs) give large true bending deformations under low driving voltages, operate in aqueous environments, are capable of transduction and are relatively well understood. IPMC fabrication and operation are presented to further elucidate the use of the material for a propulsor. Various materials, including IPMCs, are investigated and a simplified propulsor model is explored.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.759-767
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• 2008

Bending deformation of an ionic polymer actuator(IPA) on applied low electric field across its thickness is dominated by electroosmosis of hydrated ions and self-diffusion of free water molecules. In the study by Popovic et al., two processes are assumed to occur sequentially in the way that fast electroosmosis is followed by self-diffusion and finite element formulation for the basic field equations are proposed. However the motions of hydrated ions and water molecules occur at the same time. In this study, those two processes are considered simultaneously and finite element formulation is conducted for the basic field equations governing electrochemical response of an IPA. Some numerical studies for IPA are carried out in order to show the validity of the present formulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.302-306
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• 2012

Bacterial cellulose based actuator with large displacement was developed for biomimetic robots. Bacterial cellulose has 3D nanostructure with high porosity which was composed of the nanofibers. Freeze dried bacterial cellulose was dipped into ionic liquid solution such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium(BMIMCl) to enhance the actuation performance due to increase the ionexchange capacity and ionic conductivity. And Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly (styrnenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS) was used for the electrodes of both side of bacterial cellulose actuator by dipping and drying method. The FT-IR and XRD were conducted to examine the electrochemical changes of developed bacterial cellulose actuator. The biomimetic caudal fin was designed using bacterial cellulose actuator and PDMS to verify the possibility for biomimetic robot. The step and harmonic response were conducted to evaluate the performance of developed biomimetic actuator.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.714-717
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• 2007

In this study, a novel actuator was developed by employing the newly-synthesized ionic networking membrane (INM) of poly (styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PSMAn)-incorporated poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). Based on the same original membrane, various samples of INM actuator were prepared through different reduction times with the electroless-plating technique. The as-prepared INM actuators were tested in terms of surface resistance, platinum morphology, resonance frequency, tip displacement, current and blocked force, and their performance was compared to that of the widely-used traditional Nafion actuator. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that much smaller and more uniform platinum particles were formed on the surfaces of the INM actuators as well as within their polymer matrix. Although excellent harmonic response was observed for the newly-developed INM actuators, this was found to be sensitive to the applied reduction times during the fabrication. The mechanical displacement of the INM actuator fabricated after optimum reduction times was much larger than that of its Nafion counterpart of comparable thickness under the stimulus of constant and alternating current voltage.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.246-246
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• 2006

Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) soaked with various ionic liquids was prepared by using polystyrene sulfonic acid-grafted poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) as ion-exchange membrane (IEM). The prepared IPMCs were effectively deformed three times larger and actuated for 300 times longer than those of Nafion with water at the same applied conditions. The experimental results indicated than the increase in the bending capability can be caused by the increase in the improved properties of the IEMs and ionic liquids such as uptake content and ionic conductivity. And air-operating stability of the IPMCs is appreciably governed by various physical and electrochemical properties of soaked solvents in IEMs.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.353-358
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• 2009

Ionic polymer metal composite(IPMC) has been used as a promising material for various actuator applications. The IPMC actuator is difficult to be fabricated with complicated 3-dimensional shape. We propose a simple heat treatment process that can fabricate IPMC actuator with various shapes. Experimental results show the pre-shaped IPMC actuator by heat treatment does not show any degradation of its actuation abilities such as bending displacement, generation force and reliability in bending motion.