Nafion-Based Ionic-Polymer-Metal Composites: Displacement Rate Analysis by Changing Electrode Properties

In this paper, a polymer-metal ion composite is modeled in two dimensions. The core material is Nafion ۱۱۷ and the electromechanical effects of electrodes with four different materials of aluminum, gold, copper, and titanium on the stress and displacement are investigated by finite element method. Based on the properties of each material such as corrosion resistance, conductivity cost of metals and the results of the analysis, aluminum has the maximum displacement and copper is the most conductive metal but they oxidize quickly in contact of air or water. On the other hand, gold has excellent resistance to erosion and can be manufactured with very thin thickness. It has also been shown that titanium is not an optimal metal due to its scarcity and properties contrary to the needs of an efficient IPMC. Also, the stress created in the piece is almost equal in all four cases.

Keywords:

IPMC , Displacement , Finite element , Electromechanical , Smart material composite