Preparation And Properties Of Polyurethane/Mmt Nanocomposite Actuators

This study dealt with the electrostrictive response of a polyurethane (PU)/clay nanocomposite film, which was a promising candidate for a material to be used in polymer actuators. The nanocomposites were produced by using three types of montmorillonites (MMTs) such as natural MMT (Cloisite (R) Na+), hydrophobic MMT (Cloisite (R) 20A), and hydrophilic MMT (Cloisite (R) 30B). The nanometer-scale silicate layers of organo-clay were completely exfoliated in PU for the cases of 1, 3 and 5 wt% PU/MMT nanocomposites as confirmed by wide X-ray diffraction (WAXD) profiles. Actuation tests indicated that the displacement of PU/MMT nanocomposite actuator was larger than pure PU actuator, caused by an increase in dielectric constant. Especially, PU/MMT nanocomposite actuator with Cloisite (R) 30B had the largest displacement and it became possible to operate at low voltage.