Highly anisotropic carbon fiber electrodes for DEAs and their dynamic non-monotonic conductive properties

Markus Koenigsdorff; Johannes Mersch; Stefania Konstantinidi; Yves Perriard; Gerald Gerlach

doi:10.1117/12.3010366

9 May 2024 Highly anisotropic carbon fiber electrodes for DEAs and their dynamic non-monotonic conductive properties

Markus Koenigsdorff, Johannes Mersch, Stefania Konstantinidi, Yves Perriard, Gerald Gerlach

Proceedings Volume 12945, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) XXVI; 129450H (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3010366
Event: SPIE Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation, 2024, Long Beach, California, United States

Abstract

A common method for creating compliant electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) and soft sensors is to incorporate electrically conductive carbon particles into a polymer matrix. However, using unidirectional aligned carbon fibers instead not only forms a conductive network but also results in a highly mechanically anisotropic electrode. While there is ongoing research to explain the dynamic non-monotonic conductivity-strain behavior of particle-based percolative systems, the mechanics of fiber-based percolative systems have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this work aims to characterize fiber- and fiber-particle-based electrodes. The study reports a counter-intuitive finding that the dynamic behavior of a purely fiber-based electrode is opposite to that of a particle-based electrode. Specifically, while the conductivity of conventional particle-based electrodes decreases when strained, fibrous electrodes generally increase their conductivity with rising strain. This phenomenon may be attributed to the compressive stress experienced by the fibers when the electrode is strained perpendicular to them, resulting in buckling and increased undulation of the fibers, which in turn leads to a higher number of contact points within the network. A more comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon could enable the adjustment of percolation systems that rely on fibers and particles to produce conductors with consistent conductivity within a specific range of strain.

Conference Presentation

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Markus Koenigsdorff, Johannes Mersch, Stefania Konstantinidi, Yves Perriard, and Gerald Gerlach "Highly anisotropic carbon fiber electrodes for DEAs and their dynamic non-monotonic conductive properties", Proc. SPIE 12945, Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) XXVI, 129450H (9 May 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3010366

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