Experimental Investigation of Electro-Mechanical Behavior of Silver-Coated Teflon Fabric-Reinforced Nafion Ionic Polymer Metal Composite with Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Nanoparticles

Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMCs) are in high demand owing to the ongoing advancements in technology for various applications. New fabrication techniques and a quick retort towards the applied load are the significant reasons for considering IPMCs in smart devices. Here, a Teflon fabric-reinforced Nafion (TFRN) membrane is used to create an IPMC. The materials employed as electrodes are silver and nanofillers. The basement membrane, Nafion 438 (N-438), is sandwiched between the electrodes using a chemical decomposition technique. Subsequently, the electromechanical properties (actuation) of the membrane are tested. The micro and molecular structure of the IPMC membrane coated with Silver (Ag), Ag-Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and Ag-Graphene nanoparticles samples are examined with the help of SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The membrane scratch test is carried out to evaluate the abrasion and wear resistance of the membrane. The lowest coefficient of friction is shown by N438 + Ag + Graphene (0.05), which increased by 300% when compared to a pure N438 membrane. The hydration and tip deflection test were also performed to understand the water uptake percentage. At 90 °C, the highest water uptake was observed for N438 + Ag + Graphene (0.05), which decreased by 60, 42, 23, 14 and 26% when compared to N438, N438 + Ag, N438 + Ag + CNT (0.01), N438 + Ag + CNT (0.05) and N438 + Ag + Graphene (0.01), respectively. A proportional relationship between hydration level and tip deflection is observed and the highest bending performance is observed for the N438 + Ag + Graphene (0.05) membrane.