Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of Diaphragm-type Actuators using Biocompatible polymer

생체적합형 고분자를 이용한 박막형 이동기의 제작 및 특성평가

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.