Lozenge-shaped dielectric elastomer actuator based on styrene-based rubber

Dielectric Elastomers (Des) are deformable dielectrics, which can be used as active materials in mechatronic transducers, such as actuators, sensors and generators. Focusing on actuation systems, several kinds of DE actuators have been proposed in the literature, being characterized by various shapes/sizes and disparate performances in terms of efficiency, force/power densities and reliability. In any case, up to date, these devices are mostly based on either silicone or acrylic elastomers. On the other hand, actuator prototypes, which exploit the electromechanical properties of styrenic rubber, have been scarcely considered. In this paper, a lozenge-shaped DE actuator based on styrenic rubber is proposed and its performance are compared to similar DE actuators based on acrylic elastomers. In particular, after material characterization, a mathematical procedure is presented, which makes it possible to optimize the proposed DE actuator for a desired force/stroke requirement. Simulation results are finally provided, which highlight advantages and disadvantages of styrenic rubber actuators over common acrylic-based actuators