Performance of tensile and actuating of IPMC with silver as electrodes under different manufacturing temperatures

Ion-exchange polymer metal composites with silver as electrodes (Ag-IPMC) samples were manufactured by the chemical deposition method under different deposition temperatures and modification temperatures of 25℃-25℃, 15℃-25℃, 15℃-15℃, 10℃-10℃, 7.5℃-15℃ and 7.5℃-7.5℃. The topographies of chemical composition of the surface electrodes were analyzed. The tensile experiments and dynamic displacement tests of Ag-IPMC samples were taken. The results show that the diameters of Ag aggregations outside of the exchange membrane are smaller under lower temperature among the manufacturing temperature range of 7.5℃ to 25℃. Comparing the samples manufactured at reaction temperature of 7.5℃-7.5℃ to those manufactured at 25℃-25℃, the diameters of Ag particles are decreased by 60%. Electrode thickness of Ag-IPMC is affected deeply by temperature, the thicknesses of the surface and interlocked electrodes differ obviously (interlocked: ~130%, surface: ~70%). The sample with the maximum elastic modulus is prepared under 15℃-15℃, 28% larger than the minimum value. Within the experimental temperature range, the maximum driven deformation increases as the reaction temperature being lower, and the maximum value is 80% larger than the minimum.