Study on the Modification of Polymers for Human-gentle Sensors and Actuators

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Polymer gels have attracted attention as the 'intelligent material'because of their peculiar material forms. They aslo have been studied in every field. The hydrogel synthesized by freezing a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solution and thawing it slowly has high water content, excellent mechanical properties of high tensile strength, elongation, and good shape recovery by the elasticity. Used PVA had the degree of polymerization of 2500 andthe degree of saponification of 99.5 mol%. When the solution obtained by the way that 7.5g of the PVA was dissolved in80g of water, was frozen at-50-C for 3 hours and then warmed it up to room temperature taking 10 hours, and in addition, this freezing-thawing process was repeated once again, a hydrogel was synthesized. The hydrogel had the water content of about 90wt%. The tensile strength of it was 0.6MPa and the elongation at break was 130%. The shape ofthe hydrogel which was deformed by the external force recovered in a short time when it was released from the force. This recovery had good persistence and repeatability.Applying these properties, the strain sensor and the gas pressure sensor were made for trial. it can be applied to the strain sensor and the gas pressure sensor using the hydrogel containing an electrolyte solution. Furthermore, the PVA hydrogel rod with platinum wire electrodes containing PAA can bend by applying DC.This rod is able to be applied to fingers of the gripper as a flexible acturator by this bending behavior.