A study on the mechanical behavior of silicone-organically modified montmorillonite composite under human body simulated environment

Among electroactive polymers (EAPs), dielectric elastomers such as silicone are strong candidate materials for biomimetic actuators. They have several unique abilities such as high deformation and fast response time under applied electric energy. In this study, the basic mechanical properties of the silicone elastomer were measured in a simulated human body environment to investigate the applicability of this material as an artificial muscle in in vivo environment. To enhance the mechanical properties of the silicone elastomer, organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) particles were added. The silicone-OMMT composite was submerged in 30 °C water for a few weeks to evaluate the influence of moisture absorption on the mechanical properties of the composite. Tensile and creep tests were carried out according to the moisture absorption rate and OMMT particle content. To observe the change of crystalline structure and the level of dispersion of the OMMT in the silicone elastomer matrix, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed.