Fabrication and evaluation of multi-walled carbon nanotube polymer actuator using the electrospinning method

Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators were developed using composite nanofiber electrode films fabricated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and poly vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP). Aligned nanofiber electrode films were fabricated by the electrospinning method. We evaluated the characteristics of the nanofiber electrode films, fabricating conditions of the EAP actuators and property of the EAP actuators. It was confirmed that the alignment of nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning methods was anisotropic in the electrical conductivity and tensile strength. The nanofiber electrode film had 100 times the surface area of the cast electrode film. The capacitance and displacement of the nanofiber electrode actuator were larger than that of the cast electrode actuator. It is suggested that increasing the specific surface area enlarges the capacitance and displacement of the actuator.