Thermo-electro-mechanical instability of dielectric elastomers

We here propose a new method to analyze the thermo-electro-mechanical instability of dielectric elastomers. The equilibrium equations in this thermodynamic system at different temperatures are initially established. We then obtained the critical nominal electric field and the critical stretch under various mechanical and thermal loads, involving the effects of different stretch regimes on the system stability, i.e. the equal-biaxial stretch, the unequal-biaxial stretch and the thickness elongation. Finally, numerical results showed that as the temperature increases, the critical nominal electric field and the stretch of the dielectric elastomer are strengthened, which consequently stabilize the system. The results provide guidance to the design and synthesis of dielectric elastomer-based devices, especially for those operating at various temperatures.