Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin Films
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) enable the realization of energy-efficient and compact actuator systems. DEAs operate at the kilovolt range with typically microampere-level currents and hence minimize thermal losses in comparison to low voltage/high current actuators such as shape memory alloy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/20/4071 |
| _version_ | 1797572462777466880 |
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| author | Bettina Fasolt Fabio Beco Albuquerque Jonas Hubertus Günter Schultes Herbert Shea Stefan Seelecke |
| author_facet | Bettina Fasolt Fabio Beco Albuquerque Jonas Hubertus Günter Schultes Herbert Shea Stefan Seelecke |
| author_sort | Bettina Fasolt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) enable the realization of energy-efficient and compact actuator systems. DEAs operate at the kilovolt range with typically microampere-level currents and hence minimize thermal losses in comparison to low voltage/high current actuators such as shape memory alloys or solenoids. The main limiting factor for reaching high energy density in high voltage applications is dielectric breakdown. In previous investigations on silicone-based thin films, we reported that not only do environmental conditions and film parameters such as pre-stretch play an important role but that electrode composition also has a significant impact on the breakdown behavior. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of electrical breakdown on thin silicone films coated with electrodes manufactured by five different methods: screen printing, inkjet printing, pad printing, gold sputtering, and nickel sputtering. For each method, breakdown was studied under environmental conditions ranging from 1 °C to 80 °C and 10% to 90% relative humidity. The effect of different manufacturing methods was analyzed as was the influence of parameters such as solvents, silicone content, and the particle processing method. The breakdown field increases with increasing temperature and decreases with increasing humidity for all electrode types. The stiffer metal electrodes have a higher breakdown field than the carbon-based electrodes, for which particle size also plays a large role. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:56:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-65d82bcbd6714a009276e16a78c54254 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:56:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-65d82bcbd6714a009276e16a78c542542023-11-19T17:50:44ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-10-011520407110.3390/polym15204071Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin FilmsBettina Fasolt0Fabio Beco Albuquerque1Jonas Hubertus2Günter Schultes3Herbert Shea4Stefan Seelecke5Intelligent Material Systems Lab, Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology, ZeMA gGmbH, DE-66121 Saarbrücken, GermanyLMTS Soft Transducers Laboratory, EPFL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-2002 Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandSensors and Thin Film Group, University of Applied Sciences, DE-66117 Saarbrücken, GermanySensors and Thin Film Group, University of Applied Sciences, DE-66117 Saarbrücken, GermanyLMTS Soft Transducers Laboratory, EPFL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-2002 Neuchâtel, SwitzerlandIntelligent Material Systems Lab, Department of Systems Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Saarland University, DE-66121 Saarbrücken, GermanyDielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) enable the realization of energy-efficient and compact actuator systems. DEAs operate at the kilovolt range with typically microampere-level currents and hence minimize thermal losses in comparison to low voltage/high current actuators such as shape memory alloys or solenoids. The main limiting factor for reaching high energy density in high voltage applications is dielectric breakdown. In previous investigations on silicone-based thin films, we reported that not only do environmental conditions and film parameters such as pre-stretch play an important role but that electrode composition also has a significant impact on the breakdown behavior. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of electrical breakdown on thin silicone films coated with electrodes manufactured by five different methods: screen printing, inkjet printing, pad printing, gold sputtering, and nickel sputtering. For each method, breakdown was studied under environmental conditions ranging from 1 °C to 80 °C and 10% to 90% relative humidity. The effect of different manufacturing methods was analyzed as was the influence of parameters such as solvents, silicone content, and the particle processing method. The breakdown field increases with increasing temperature and decreases with increasing humidity for all electrode types. The stiffer metal electrodes have a higher breakdown field than the carbon-based electrodes, for which particle size also plays a large role.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/20/4071dielectric breakdown testelectrode manufacturing methodsinfluence electrodessilicone filmscarbon blackenvironmental conditions |
| spellingShingle | Bettina Fasolt Fabio Beco Albuquerque Jonas Hubertus Günter Schultes Herbert Shea Stefan Seelecke Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin Films Polymers dielectric breakdown test electrode manufacturing methods influence electrodes silicone films carbon black environmental conditions |
| title | Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin Films |
| title_full | Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin Films |
| title_fullStr | Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin Films |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin Films |
| title_short | Electrode Impact on the Electrical Breakdown of Dielectric Elastomer Thin Films |
| title_sort | electrode impact on the electrical breakdown of dielectric elastomer thin films |
| topic | dielectric breakdown test electrode manufacturing methods influence electrodes silicone films carbon black environmental conditions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/20/4071 |
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