Modeling the actuation and sensing behavior of an IPMC within the framework of the Theory of Porous Media.

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are considered as smart materials. Therein, a differentiation between an electric and an ionic EAP will be made. In this contribution, in particular the ionic polymer‐metal composites (IPMCs) are investigated which belong to the class of the ionic EAPs. These kind of materials act as an actuator and a sensor in variety of applications. The actuation application is given by applying an electrical voltage to the electrodes which instantaneously leads to the relocation of the mobile cations towards the cathode. The sensor application is performed by loading the IPMC mechanically which generates an electrical field. For the prediction of the behavior of this material, the theoretical framework of electrodynamics in combination with the Theory of Porous Media has been taken into account, see [1–3]. A numerical example for the 2D sensing behavior is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]