• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.180-187
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• 2005

This paper is focused on the development of the flexible electrode for disc-type polymer actuators using Segmented Polyurethane(SPU). This paper consists of two parts. The one is about the mechanical property such as elastic modulus. these parameters mainly affect behaviors of polymer actuators and the other is about the electro-chemical property such as the surface resistance of the composite electrode affects the strength of electrostatic force, results in the deformation of polymer actuators. The Young's modulus was measured by UTM. As result, by increasing the modulus of a body of polymer actuators, the maximum displacement of polymer actuators are decreased. The surface resistance of the electrode was measured by 4 point probe system. Compared with the conductive silver grease, the displacement of polymer actuators using carbon black(CB) composite electrodes is comparably small but CB composite electrode should be the practical approach for the improvement of the performance of all-solid actuators, compared with another types of electrode materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.285-290
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• 2004

Electro-active polymer, one of smart materials, is a new alternative technology, which can get an ultra precision movements and bio-compatibilty. This paper presents the relationship between elastic modulus and maximum deflection as a key property of maxwell stress effects and also presents the relationship between dielectric constant and maximum deflection as a key property of electro-striction effects in disc-type actuators using segmented PU. To induce equation about distributed load of a disc, we use boundary condition of fully clamped circular plate and to obtain design parameters of a micro-fluidics system, CFD simulation is performed.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2000

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of polyurethane synthesis by simultaneously measuring resonant frequency and resonant resistance with a quartz crystal analyzer. The rapid decrease of resonant frequency was appeared because automatic catalytic reaction was caused by the polyurethane formed in initial stage of polyurethane synthesis. In prepolymer(PP) synthesis, the resonant frequency was slowly stabilized after a rapid decrease at a certain point of time. But in segmented polyurethane synthesis in which chain-extender was involved, the resonant frequency increased again after a rapid decrease at a certain point of time. It was considered that this tendency took place because the chain-extender, 1,4-butandiol, caused a soft segment to change to a hard segment. The resonant resistance was used in the analysis of mechanism. From the results, the characteristics of polyurethane synthesis could be analyzed on-line using a quartz crystal analyzer, and the synthesis mechanism could also be interpreted.