Fabrication and characterization of ionic polymer-metal composites

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the electroactive behavior of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)-based actuators. CMC-based films were synthesized by using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (BMIMBr) ionic liquid. Thereafter, both sides of the films were coated with gold-leaf to produce CMC-based ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) actuators. In the first part of the study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) at different ratios (1, 1.5 and 2 g) was used to improve the electroactive behavior of CMC-based actuators. The synthesized CMC-based films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile tests. Under DC excitation voltages of 1, 3, 5, and 7V, maximum tip displacements of actuators were determined with a laser displacement sensor. According to obtained results, CMC-based actuator including 1.5 g PEG exhibited the largest tip displacement for each excitation voltage. In the second part of the study, since the optimal amount of PEG was obtained to be 1.5 g in terms of maximum tip displacement, graphene nanoplatelets (Gr) at different loadings (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 wt. percent) were added in order to improve the actuation characteristic of CMC-based film including 1.5 g PEG. The fabricated Gr-loaded CMC-based films were then characterized by similar analysis techniques. The experimental results showed that the Gr loading into CMC-based films improved the actuator performance.