Effect of elastomer matrix type on electromechanical response of conductive polypyrrole/elastomer blends

Electrorheological properties of prestine elastomers and polypyrrole/elastomer blends were investigated to identify the most suitable elastomer to be used in electroactive actuator applications. Seven types of elastomer: poly(acrylate) copolymers (AR70, AR71, AR72, and SAR), poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS), poly (styrene butadiene) (SBR), and poly(styrene isoprene styrene) (SIS) were chosen as the candidate dielectric elastomers. For the pure elastomers, the storage modulus responses, ΔG′, amongst the elastomers differ by 6 orders of magnitude at the electric field strength of 2 kV/mm. The storage modulus sensitivity, ΔG′/G′0, increases with electric field strength and attains maximum values of 97% for SBR, 148% for SAR, 232% for AR70, 13% for PDMS, 69% for AR71, 54% for AR72, and 10% for SIS at the electric field strength of 2 kV/mm. Correlations are identified between the elastomer storage modulus sensitivity and G′0 and/or electrical conductivity. For the undoped polypyrrole/elastomer blends with the particle concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 vol%, ΔG′ increases linearly with concentration in the absence of electric field but nonlinearly with electric field on, due to the obstruction of the matrix–dipole interaction at small concentrations and the nonuniform polypyrrole particle dispersion in the matrix at high concentrations.