Ionic polymer-metal composite displacement sensors

An ionic polymer-metal composite (abbreviated IPMC) is a smart material consisting of two layers of noble metal and an ion-conducting layer between them. Smart materials are generally capable of actuating and sensing. Mechanical deformation of the IPMC beam produces an electrical potential difference (in the order of mV) proportional to the deformation of the ion-conducting layer. In this paper, the sensing capabilities of IPMC samples were investigated. The composites were manufactured in the form of thin plates (0.3 mm) cut into rectangular samples. The aging aspect of the IPMC was considered: the comparison between previously used and newly-acquired samples to study fatigue parameters on sensing response was researched. The response of the samples in various frequencies was tested for each sample and for two mechanically and electrically coupled samples. Finally, certain applications of IPMC are proposed, based on these measurements.