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Variable Thickness IPMC: Capacitance Effect on Energy Harvesting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Rashi Tiwari,
Sang-Mun Kim and
Kwang Kim
Rashi Tiwari
Affiliation:
rashit@unr.edu, University of Nevada, Reno, Mechanical Engineering, Reno, Nevada, United States
Sang-Mun Kim
Affiliation:
kims42@unr.nevada.edu, University of Nevada, Reno, Mechanical Engineering, Reno, Nebraska, United States
Kwang Kim
Affiliation:
kwangkim@unr.edu, University of Nevada, Reno, Mechanical Engineering, Reno, Nebraska, United States
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Abstract

Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMCs) are manufactured by electroless deposition of metal on Nafion. This deposition method results in the IPMCs with thickness between 0.17mm to 0.20mm with the electrode thickness of around a few m each. It is now generally accepted that on mechanical deformation IPMC produces charge thus making these materials potentially suitable for energy harvesting applications. Due to thin metal plating and inherited flexibility of the Nafion film the IPMCs suffer in stiffness that may be required for some energy harvesting applications. Also earlier works have shown that 0.20mm thick IPMC produce better battery charging than 0.17mm thick one. Hot pressing, using metal mold, Nafion films was employed to produce thicker and comparatively stiffer IPMCs electroded with Palladium metal. Palladium was used because of shorter manufacturing time. This IPMC shows improved energy harvesting. Due to the increased thickness these IPMCs also function as better capacitors than their conventional counterparts. On application of voltage, these IPMCs show charging and discharging effects of a capacitor. This property of IPMC may be useful for storing charge.

Keywords

ionic conductorpolymerizationplating

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1129: Symposium V – Materials and Devices for Smart Systems III , 2008, 1129-V06-05
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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