Research on electromechanical coupling properties in dielectric elastomers

Dielectric elastomers are emerging electro-active materials used in high-performance actuators. The dielectric and mechanical properties are key parameters which determine their electromechanical coupling applications. Firstly, the dielectric constant and elastic modulus of a representative elastomer (VHB4910) are investigated by experimental analysis, and then the influence of these properties on the electromechanical coupling properties is analyzed. It is found that the actuator properties are dominated by the elastic modulus of the elastomer, which is frequency and temperature dependent, and the changes caused by it may be up to four orders of magnitude; while the dielectric constants has a relative minor effect on the actuator behavior.