Improved manufacturing technology for producing porous Nafion for high-performance ionic polymer–metal composite actuators

The current actuation performance of ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) limits their further application in the aerospace, energy, and optics fields, among others. To overcome this issue, we developed a freeze-drying process to generate Nafion membranes with a porous structure, the characteristics of which were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and water uptake tests. The pores fabricated using the developed freeze-drying process had a diameter of approximately 270 nm, and a porosity of nearly 40.45%. The displacement and the central angle were introduced as variables to evaluate the bending deformation of an IPMC actuator based on the porous Nafion membrane. Compared with conventional actuators, this IPMC actuator showed an increase in displacement of 4963.6% at 2 V, and an increase in central angle of 73.35% at 3 V. Although the blocking forces of this IPMC actuator decreased to some extent, it was confirmed that the integrated actuation performance, which was evaluated using the strain energy density increment, was improved. The performance of the IPMC actuator was enhanced as a result of the porous Nafion structure manufactured using the developed freeze-drying process.