Development of a Soft Robotic Bending Actuator Based on a Novel Sulfonated Polyvinyl Chloride–Phosphotungstic Acid Ionic Polymer–Metal Composite (IPMC) Membrane

This work presents the development of a cost-effective electric-stimulus-responsive bending actuator based on a sulfonated polyvinyl chloride (SPVC)–phosphotungstic acid (PTA) ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC), using a simple solution-casting method followed by chemical reduction of platinum (Pt) ions as an electrode. The characterizations of the prepared IPMC were performed using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Excellent ion-exchange capacity (IEC) and proton conductivity (PC), with values of ca. 1.98 meq·g(−1) and ca. 1.6 mS·cm(−1), respectively, were observed. The water uptake (WU) and water loss (WL) capacities of the IPMC membranes were measured at 25 °C, and found to have maxima of ca. 48% for 10 h, and ca. 36% at 6 V DC for almost 9 min, respectively. To analyze the actuation performance of the developed membrane, tip displacement and actuation force measurements were conducted. Tip displacement was found to be ca. 15.1 mm, whereas bending actuation was found to be 0.242 mN at 4 V DC. The moderate water loss, good proton conductivity (PC), high thermal stability, and good electrochemical properties of the developed IPMC membrane actuator position it as a cost-effective alternative to highly expensive conventional perfluorinated polymer-based actuators.