Lightweight long nanotube-solid electrolyte composite actuators for morphing structure applications: fabrication and property characterization

Buckypaper composite actuators (BCAs) are sandwich structures made of Nafion and thin nanotube sheets called buckypaper (BP). These composite actuators were developed and tested in an open air environment to demonstrate their use as high-performance electromechanical actuation devices. The thin (15-30μm) BPs were composed of millimeter-long nanotubes to provide good electrical conductivity and strength. To manufacture the BCAs, a Nafion sheet was sandwiched between two BPs and subsequently hot pressed. The BCAs have demonstrated repeatable displacement of more than 12 mm when less than 10 volts has been applied. The actuation voltage can be as low as ∼0.1 V. The Young's modulus of the actuators reached 1.9 GPa, which is among the highest reported mechanical properties compared with other electroactive polymer-based actuators. The maximum strain and blocking force of the actuators were 0.77 % and 8.7 mN, respectively. This composite actuator has the potential of being used for optical devices and morphing structures.