Elastomeric composites with high dielectric constant for use in Maxwell stress actuators

Electroactive polymer actuators that utilize the Maxwell stress effect have generated considerable interest in recent years for use in applications such as artificial muscles, sensors, and parasitic energy capture. In order to maximize performance, the dielectric layer in Maxwell stress actuators should ideally have a high dielectric constant and high dielectric breakdown strength. In this study, the effect of high dielectric constant fillers on the electrical and mechanical properties of thin elastomeric films was examined. The fillers studied included the inorganic compounds titanium dioxide (TiO₂), barium titanate (BaTiO₃), and lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-PbTiO). A high dielectric constant filler based on a polymeric conjugated ligand-metal complex, poly(copper phthalocyanine), was also synthesized and studied. Maxwell stress actuators fabricated with BaTiO₃ dispersed in a silicone elastomer matrix were evaluated and compared with unfilled systems. A model was presented which relates filler volume fraction to actuation stress, strain, and elastic energy density at fields below dielectric breakdown. The model and experimental results suggest that for the case of strong filler particle-elastomer matrix interaction, actuation strain decreases with increasing filler content.