Actuation performance of cellulose based electro-active papers

Electro-Active Paper (EAPap) is attractive as an EAP actuator material due to its merits in terms of lightweight, dry condition, large displacement output, low actuation voltage and low power consumption. This paper presents the fabrication and performance test of EAPap actuators. EAPap material has been made from cellulose materials. Cellulose fiber is dissolved into a solution and made into a sheet by using a spin coater. Thin electrodes are deposited on the cellophane sheet to comprise an EAPap. Next the EAPap is made into plate or beam specimens cut along a specific orientation to enhance the actuator performance. The EAPap is clamped on electric power connector and placed in an environmental chamber and the tip displacement of EAPap is measured with laser sensor. Also the blocking force of EAPap sample is measured. The measured force is compared with a theoretical beam model. These measurements are performed under a variety of environmental and input factors including frequency, actuation voltage, temperature and humidity. Characteristics of EAPap in terms of fibrous nature, their crystallinity, and mechanical, physical and electrochemical characteristics are presented.