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Modelling electro-active polymers with a dispersion-type anisotropy

Mokarram Hossain Orcid Logo, Paul Steinmann

Smart Materials and Structures, Volume: 27, Issue: 2

Swansea University Author: Mokarram Hossain Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1088/1361-665X/aa9f88

Abstract

We propose a novel constitutive framework for electro-active polymers (EAPs) that can take into account anisotropy with a chain dispersion. To enhance actuation behaviour, particle-filled EAPs become promising candidates nowadays. Recent studies suggest that particle-filled EAPs, which can be cured...

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Published in: Smart Materials and Structures
ISSN: 0964-1726 1361-665X
Published: 2018
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa37396
Abstract: We propose a novel constitutive framework for electro-active polymers (EAPs) that can take into account anisotropy with a chain dispersion. To enhance actuation behaviour, particle-filled EAPs become promising candidates nowadays. Recent studies suggest that particle-filled EAPs, which can be cured under an electric field during the manufacturing time, do not necessarily form perfect anisotropic composites, rather they create composites with dispersed chains. Hence in this contribution, an electro-mechanically coupled constitutive model is devised that considers the chain dispersion with a probability distribution function (PDF) in an integral form. To obtain relevant quantities in discrete form, numerical integration over the unit sphere is utilised. Necessary constitutive equations are derived exploiting the basic laws of thermodynamics that result in a thermodynamically consistent formulation. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed electro-mechanically coupled framework, we analytically solve a non-homogeneous boundary value problem, the extension and inflation of an axisymmetric cylindrical tube under electro-mechanically coupled load. The results capture various electro-mechanical couplings with the formulation proposed for EAP composites.
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Issue: 2

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