Study of kinetic of water absorption in ionomeric polymer-metal composites

• Grant number: 19/11259-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Roger Gonçalves
• Grantee: Thiago Petrilli Maffei Dardis
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Ionomeric polymer composites and metal (IPMCs) are electroactive materials composed of a high ionic conductivity polymeric film, with metallic electrodes deposited on both sides of the film. These devices can modify their dimensions in response to an electrical stimulus. For this reason, they present great potential to be used as mechanical actuators with muscles-like movements and characteristics, as well as dynamic sensors. IPMCs actuators have many advantages over conventional mechanical actuators, for example, high flexibility, low Young's Modulus, lightness, miniaturization capability and biocompatibility. However, these devices present some limitations, such as variations in deformational behaviour in environments with different humidity and different counterions. In this sense, this work intends to investigate the water absorption kinetics and electromechanical behaviour of IPMCs based on Nafion®, using different counterions and in different relative humidity in a controlled environment.