Synthesis and characterization of artificial muscles based on SBS block copolymers with selective sulfonation of the phases

• Grant number: 20/02696-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2020
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Henrique Scuracchio
• Grantee: Matheus Colovati Saccardo
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/04348-0 - Synthesis and characterization of artificial muscles based on SBS-type block copolymers with phase-selective sulfonation, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Ionomeric Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMCs) are smart materials, which have a metal/polymer/metal sandwich-like structure and are capable to deform in response to electrical stimuli and vice versa. In addition, they have low density, flexibility, lightness, biocompatibility and low drive voltage. Therefore, they are promising materials for a wide range of applications, such as actuators, sensors, in robotics and as artificial muscles. The operating mechanism of these devices consists of the migration of hydrated ions within the polymer's ionomeric channels in response to an electric field generated after the application of a bias between metal electrodes. For this reason, its electromechanical performance depends on several factors mainly related to the polymeric membrane, such as ionic conductivity, hydration level and ionomeric channels morphology. However, these materials present a series of problems that need to be solved to enable industrial production and applications. Among them, it is highlighted high cost, high temperature ion conductivity lost, low flexibility and random morphology. On the other hand, the styrene-butadiene block copolymer (SBS), is an important thermoplastic elastomer that can be synthesized in order to produce a nanostructured morphological structure, with well-defined domains, which can be selectively sulfonated to develop an ionomer specifically designed for favourable ion migration, maintaining mechanical properties of high flexibility and resistance. For this reason, this project aims at the development and electromechanical characterization of artificial muscles based on SBS with nanostructured morphology and selective sulfonation of the phases, aiming to develop a technological device, with high ion migration capacity, high electromechanical performance, low cost and with industrial application. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ARIEL GUSTAVO ZUQUELLO; MATHEUS COLOVATI SACCARDO; ROGER GONÇALVES; KAIQUE AFONSO TOZZI; RAFAEL BARBOSA; LAOS ALEXANDRE HIRANO; CARLOS HENRIQUE SCURACCHIO. PI Controller for IPMC Actuators Based on Nafion®/PT Using Machine Vision for Feedback Response at Different Relative Humidities. MATERIALS RESEARCH-IBERO-AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MATERIALS, v. 25, 2022-09-12. (20/02696-6, 18/09761-8, 18/10843-9, 18/07001-6)

SACCARDO, MATHEUS COLOVATI; ZUQUELLO, ARIEL GUSTAVO; GONCALVES, ROGER; TOZZI, KAIQUE AFONSO; BARBOSA, RAFAEL; HIRANO, LAOS ALEXANDRE; SCURACCHIO, CARLOS HENRIQUE. Electromechanical Evaluation of Ionomeric Polymer-Metal Composites Using Video Analysis. MATERIALS RESEARCH-IBERO-AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MATERIALS, v. 24, n. 2, 2021. (18/10843-9, 18/09761-8, 20/02696-6, 18/07001-6)