A Numerical Method Charactering the Electromechanical Properties of Particle Reinforced Composite Based on Statistics

Abstract

A novel model for a network of polymer chains is proposed considering the distribution of polymer chains inside the composite in this work. Some factors that influence the distribution of polymer chains are quantitatively investigated, such as external surface geometry, internal filler, and local deformation. Furthermore, the Maxwell stress induced by an electric field is characterized by the statistics of local charge density, as the basic analyzing electromechanical properties of materials. In particular, taking the non-uniform distribution of polymer chains into account, the electromechanical properties of two materials—VHB 4910 and CaCu3Ti4O12-polydimethylsiloxane (CCTO-PDMS)—are investigated to validate the applicability of the proposed model. The comparison between simulation results and experimental results from existing literature shows that the model was successfully employed to predict the electromechanical properties of polymer composites.

Developments in Polymer Theory and Simulation

“…They established shear thickening as a primary result of non-Gaussian chain behavior, addressed a criterion for network fracture, and discussed the role of cross-linker density on viscosity using a "sticky" reptation mechanism. A model for a network of polymer chains inside a composite has been proposed by Chang and Wang [4]. For a CCTO-PDMS composite, the calculation results indicate that the electromechanical properties are greatly affected by internal fillers.…”

Actuation Behavior of Multilayer Graphene Nanosheets/Polydimethylsiloxane Composite Films

“…Generally, when an electric field is applied, the dielectric elastomer film contracts along the thickness direction due to the electrostatic charges, and extends along the transverse direction, as shown in Figure 2a. The compression force denoted as σ z is the Maxwell stress [30], which is calculated by Equation (1), σz=ε0εr(Vt)2, where ε 0 is the dielectric constant of the air and ε r the relative dielectric constant of the elastomer. V represents the applied voltage and t denotes the thickness of the elastomer.…”