4.7 Article

3D-Architected low melting point alloys foam microstructure-reinforced polymer composite with superior stiffness-switchable for soft actuator

Journal

POLYMER COMPOSITES
Volume -, Issue -, Pages -

Publisher

WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/pc.27738

Keywords

Field's metal; lattice structure; polymer composite; soft actuator; stiffness switch

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This study developed a novel lightweight metal foam and embedded it into a designed stiffness variable polymer to fabricate a polymer composite with superior stiffness switchable capacity. The composite shows excellent conductivity, high stiffness switch ratio, as well as shape memory and self-healing characteristics. It was then applied as the stiffness changing units in soft actuators, which demonstrated short heating-cooling cycle time and remarkable stiffness and net force values.
Stiffness variable materials have aroused extensive research interest in smart devices, especially in soft actuators. However, achieving materials with high stiffness switch range remains challenging. Here, a novel three-dimensional (3D) lightweight Field's metal (FM) foam was developed. Meanwhile, the polymer composite (SUFF) with superior stiffness switchable capacity was fabricated by embedding FM foam into a kind of designed stiffness variable polymer. The SUFF shows outstanding conductivity under relatively low FM volume fraction of 20.6%. Impressively, because of the extremely high modulus and fast transition of FM foam, the stiffness switch ratio of the SUFF are able to reach an ultra-high value of 6987.5-folds. Apart from its exceptional stiffness switchable capacity, the SUFF also possesses remarkable shape memory and self-healing characteristics. Next, the SUFF was then fastened to a soft actuator as the stiffness changing units. The obtained actuator was able to exhibit a short heating-cooling cycle time of 44 s while using 10 A of current and 4 degrees C water for cooling. Moreover, the actuator can reach remarkable values of 973 mN/mm and 4729 mN, respectively, for its stiffness and net force. Then, a soft robot gripper made up of three obtained actuators mounted on a base demonstrates its excellent load and stiffness switchable ability. It can lift a variety of objects with various forms with weights up to more than 3 kg. This study might provide a reference for application of stiffness variable materials in soft actuators.

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