• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.135-139
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• 1997

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1254-1258
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• 2007

Electro-active polymer (EAP), one of the smart materials, is a new alternative offering ultra-precise movements and bio-compatibility. We present the results of the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a fabricated diaphragm-type polymer actuator using segmented polyurethane(SPU). This paper illustrates the relationship between the elastic modulus and maximum deflection as a key property of the Maxwell stress effect and also presents the relationship between the dielectric constant and maximum deflection as a key property of the electrostriction effect, especially in polymer actuators using SPU. A diaphragm-type actuator was used to induce an equation of the vertically distributed load by using a fully clamped circular plate as the boundary condition. To verify the equation, the results were compared to the data measured from load cell. In the near future, a low-cost check valves and bio-robot can be applied by its actuators.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.377-384
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• 2010

We perform a comparative study to investigate the properties of the new energetic chain extender (AzPD). A series of poly(glycidyl azide)/poly(tetramethylene oxide)-based energetic segmented polyurethane (GAP/PTMG ESPU) with different chain extender, which is 3-azidopropane-1,2-diol (AzPD), 1,4-butane diol (1,4-BD), or 1,5 pentane diol (1,5-PD), was synthesized by solution polymerization in dimethyl formamide (DMF) and their phase behaviors were investigated. The ESPUs were characterized with Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results of the ATR FT-IR analysis of the urethane carbonyl group region showed that the 'free' C=O fraction was higher in GAP/PTMG AzESPU (0.5) than GAP/PTMG BDESPU (0.44) and GAP/PTMG PDESPU (0.41) for 7 days samples after preparation and that it was similar in the range of 0.26~0.29 for three 60 days ESPU samples. DMA curves of the GAP/PTMG AzESPU for 7 days samples showed amorphous polymers, but GAP/PTMG BDESPU and GAP/PTMG PDESPU showed viscoelastic behaviors with rubbery plateau and the flow region. However, DMA curves of the GAP/PTMG AzESPU for 60 days samples showed viscoelastic behaviors with rubbery plateau and the flow region like GAP/PTMG PDESPU, but GAP/PTMG BDESPU did not show the flow region. From phase behaviors with ATR FT-IR, DSC and DMA analysis, GAP/PTMG AzESPU showed good phase-mixing between components. However, it represented viscoelastic behavior of TPE similar to GAP/PTMG PDESPM according to phase equilibrium progress with aging time.