Mechanical and electrical properties of electroactive papers and its potential application

초록

This paper focuses on the mechanical and electrical characteristics of electro-active paper (EAPap) as a bio-inspired actuator and the potential use of these actuators in some specific applications. EAPap can undergo a large bending displacement at a relatively low voltage under low power consumption in dry conditions. EAPap samples as tested are made from chemically treated cellulose paper. When an electrical field is applied to the electrodes, a ¨bending displacement〃 is produced as the material tends to deform into a constant curvature coil. However, the EAPap is a complex anisotrpic material which has not been extensively characterized and additional basic and design testing is required before developing application devices from EAPap.