Enhancement of transduction performance of a dielectric elastomer actuator based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber

The synthetic elastomer based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) has been recently developed as a kind of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). Its advantages are that its properties can be modified according to the requirements of applications. In this paper, we report a comprehensive study on the effects of plasticizers including diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), dioctyladipate (DOA), and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as well as a high dielectric additive, which is, barium titanate (BaTiO3) with respect to the overall performance of the synthetic elastomer. We investigate how the significant parameters representing the actuator performance can be changed according to the composition of the additives and how the actuation performances can be improved. In addition, we address how the environmental conditions such as exposure to the light and the air have influence on the properties of the synthetic elastomer, and a method for extending the lifetime of DEA is also addressed.