Journal
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
Volume 104, Issue 5, Pages -Publisher
AMER INST PHYSICS
DOI: 10.1063/1.4863816
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Funding
- Fritz and Margot Faudi Foundation
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Soft silicone elastomers are used in a generation of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) with improved actuation speed and durability compared to the commonly used, highly viscoelastic polyacrylate 3M VHB (TM) films. The maximum voltage-induced stretch of DEAs is ultimately limited by their dielectric breakdown field strength. We measure the dependence of dielectric breakdown field strength on thickness and stretch for a silicone elastomer, when voltage-induced deformation is prevented. The experimental results are combined with an analytic model of equi-biaxial actuation to show that accounting for variable dielectric field strength results in different values of optimal pre-stretch and thickness that maximize the DEA actuation. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.
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