Plasticized relaxor ferroelectric terpolymer: Toward giant electrostriction, high mechanical energy and low electric field actuators

J.-F. Capsal (1) , J. Galineau (1) , M. Lallart (1) , P.-J. Cottinet (1) , D. Guyomar (1)

1 LGEF - Laboratoire de Génie Electrique et Ferroélectricité

Enhancing the electrostrictive strain under low electric field of a dielectric electroactive polymer (EAP) is essential in soft actuators applications. Conventional electrostrictive polymers suffer of the high electric fields usually required to reach sufficient strain. Here we report a new approach that greatly enhanced the strain under electric field and the mechanical energy density of fluorinated terpolymer EAP. A new all organic composite based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene- chlorofluoroethylene) terpolymer (P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)) doped with bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was synthesized. DEHP molecule acts as a plasticizer that leads to large dipolar interfacial effects. This chemical modification allows a 28-fold increase of the electrostrictive strain and a 215-fold increase of the mechanical energy density. As a consequence, this new approach permits the uses of the exceptional properties of the fluorinated terpolymer for an electric field nearly 5 times lower and represents a simple and effective solution to this technological barrier. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mots clés: Chlorofluoroethylene; Dielectric electroactive polymers; Electro-active polymers; Electrostrictive polymers; Electrostrictive strain; High electric fields; Relaxor ferroelectric; Technological barriers; Actuators; Chemical modification; Composite materials; Conducting polymers; Dielectric materials; Electric fields; Polymers; Mechanical actuators

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

J.-F. Capsal, J. Galineau, M. Lallart, P.-J. Cottinet, D. Guyomar. Plasticized relaxor ferroelectric terpolymer: Toward giant electrostriction, high mechanical energy and low electric field actuators. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical , 2014, 207, pp.25-31. ⟨10.1016/j.sna.2013.12.008⟩. ⟨hal-01770284⟩