Study of the influence of the cation and relative humidity of the air in the electrical response of deformation sensors based on IPMC

• Grant number: 20/10839-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2020
• End date: October 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Henrique Scuracchio
• Grantee: Iago Cordeiro Santa Bárbara
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Iomeric Polymer and Metal Composites (IPMCs) are a type of device based on electroactive polymer that is gaining a lot of importance today, both as a mechanical actuator and as a deformation sensor. An IPMC has a bimorphous configuration, consisting of a perfluorinated polymeric membrane, ionically conductive, interspersed between two conductive plates of noble metal. Its principle of operation is the transformation of an electrical stimulus into mechanical deformation or vice versa. Among its main potentialities are: lightness, flexibility and easy processing, qualifying it for applications in relevant areas such as: robotics, biomimetics and as artificial muscles. However, among its main limitations are the high dependence on atmospheric humidity and the cationic species present in the ionic conducting polymer in its performance both as an actuator or sensor. In the first case, this dependency has been extensively studied in recent years, but the same cannot be said of its application as a deformation sensor: there is a lack of studies in the literature on the influence of both environmental conditions and the counter-ions contained in the electroactive polymer in the electrical response of these devices to a given deformation. Thus, this project aims to cover part of this gap, studying the influence of cationic species and relative humidity on the performance of IPMCs acting as a strain sensor.

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)

BARBOSA, RAFAEL; GONCALVES, ROGER; BLANCO, GUILHERME EDUARDO DE OLIVEIRA; SACCARDO, MATHEUS COLOVATI; TOZZI, KAIQUE AFONSO; ZUQUELLO, ARIEL GUSTAVO; SCURACCHIO, CARLOS HENRIQUE. Multi-sensing properties of hybrid filled natural rubber nanocomposites using impedance spectroscopy. Electrochimica Acta, v. 435, p. 11-pg., 2022-10-22. (18/09761-8, 18/07001-6, 20/10588-9, 20/02696-6, 20/10839-1)

BARBOSA, RAFAEL; GONCALVES, ROGER; TOZZI, KAIQUE AFONSO; SACCARDO, MATHEUS COLOVATI; ZUQUELLO, ARIEL GUSTAVO; SCURACCHIO, CARLOS HENRIQUE. Improving the swelling, mechanical, and electrical properties in natural rubber latex/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites: Effect of the sonication method. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, v. 139, n. 23, p. 13-pg., 2022-03-10. (18/07001-6, 20/02696-6, 20/10839-1, 18/09761-8, 20/10588-9)