The electrostriction of elastomeric polymer dielectrics with compliant electrodes is potentially useful as a small-scale, solid-state actuator
technology. Electrostrictive polymer (EP) materials are capable of efficient and fast response with high strains ( > 30%)) good actuation
pressures (up to 1.9 MPa), and high specific energy densities (up to 0.1 J g- ‘). In this article, the mechanism of electrostriction is shown to
be due to the electrostatic attraction of free charges on the electrodes. Although EP actuators are electrostatics based, they are shown to
produce 5-20 times the effective actuation pressure of conventional air-gap electrostatics at the same electric field strength. The thin uniform
dielectric films necessary for fabrication of EP actuators have been fabricated by techniques such as spin coating, casting, and dipping. A
variety of materials and techniques have been used to produce the compliant electrodes, including lift-off stenciling techniques for powdered
graphite, selective wetting of ionically conductive polymers, and spray coating of carbon blacks and fibrils in polymeric binders. Prototype
actuators have been demonstrated in a variety of configurations such as stretched films, stacks, rolls, tubes, and unimorphs. Potential applications
of the technology in areas such as microrobots, sound generators, and displays are discussed in this article. 0 1998 Published by Elsevier
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