TY - JOUR
T1 - Ink-jet printing of transparent and stretchable electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuator
AU - Shrestha, Milan
AU - Lu, Zhenbo
AU - Lau, Gih Keong
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2018 by Nanyang Technological University.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Dielectric elastomer actuators have recently been used to drive loudspeakers and acoustic absorbers. So far, these acoustic devices are opaque due to use of metallic or carbon-grease compliant electrodes. A transparent device of acoustic-absorber is desirable for large-areal installation to glass window or roof. There were reports of transparent compliant electrode based on ionic hydrogel, which however does not last long when water evaporates. This paper investigates the use of transparent conductive polymer and its printing to make a transparent acoustic absorber. We formulated the aqueous ink with improved ink’s wettability to the elastomeric substrate. In addition, we optimized the droplet spacing to form a continuous electrode coating. The ink-jet printing enables the hassle-free patterning of transparent compliant electrodes to make a micro-perforated dielectric elastomer actuator. Testing shows that this transparent membrane DEA can produce a maximum voltage-induced radial expansion of 20%; whereas, a transparent perforated-membrane DEA can size down the holes by 15%, for tuning the acoustic resonant frequency.
AB - Dielectric elastomer actuators have recently been used to drive loudspeakers and acoustic absorbers. So far, these acoustic devices are opaque due to use of metallic or carbon-grease compliant electrodes. A transparent device of acoustic-absorber is desirable for large-areal installation to glass window or roof. There were reports of transparent compliant electrode based on ionic hydrogel, which however does not last long when water evaporates. This paper investigates the use of transparent conductive polymer and its printing to make a transparent acoustic absorber. We formulated the aqueous ink with improved ink’s wettability to the elastomeric substrate. In addition, we optimized the droplet spacing to form a continuous electrode coating. The ink-jet printing enables the hassle-free patterning of transparent compliant electrodes to make a micro-perforated dielectric elastomer actuator. Testing shows that this transparent membrane DEA can produce a maximum voltage-induced radial expansion of 20%; whereas, a transparent perforated-membrane DEA can size down the holes by 15%, for tuning the acoustic resonant frequency.
KW - Acoustic absorbers
KW - Additive manufacturing
KW - Dielectric elastomer actuators
KW - Ink-jet Printing
KW - Transparent and stretchable electrodes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053640277&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.25341/D4KS34
DO - 10.25341/D4KS34
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85053640277
SN - 2424-8967
VL - 2018-May
SP - 673
EP - 678
JO - Proceedings of the International Conference on Progress in Additive Manufacturing
JF - Proceedings of the International Conference on Progress in Additive Manufacturing
T2 - 3rd International Conference on Progress in Additive Manufacturing, Pro-AM 2018
Y2 - 14 May 2018 through 17 May 2018
ER -