Ariano Paolo, Accardo Daisy, Lombardi Mariangela, Bocchini Sergio, Draghi Lorenza, De Nardo Luigi, Fino Paolo
1 Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Space Human Robotics, Torino - Italy.
J Appl Biomater Funct Mater. 2015 Mar 18;13(1):1-9. doi: 10.5301/jabfm.5000184.
The accurate selection of materials and the fine tuning of their properties represent a fundamental aspect in the realization of new active systems able to produce actuating forces, such as artificial muscles. In this regard, exciting opportunities for the design of new advanced systems are offered by materials belonging to the emerging class of functional polymers: exploiting their actuation response, specific devices can be realized. Along this direction, materials showing either shape-memory effect (SME) or shape-change effect (SCE) have been the subject of extensive studies aimed at designing of actuators as artificial muscles. Here, we concisely review active polymers in terms of properties and main applications in artificial muscle design.
The main aspects related to material properties in both shape-memory polymers (SMPs) and electroactive polymers (EAPs) are reviewed, based on recent scientific literature. SME in thermally activated SMPs is presented by preliminarily providing a definition that encompasses the new theories regarding their fundamental properties. EAPs are briefly presented, describing the working mechanisms and highlighting the main properties and drawbacks, in view of their application as actuators. For both classes of materials, some key examples of effective application in artificial muscles are offered.
The potential in polymer architecture design for the fabrication of actively moving systems is described to give a perspective on the main achievements and new research activities.
准确选择材料并对其性能进行微调是实现能够产生驱动力的新型活性系统（如人造肌肉）的一个基本方面。在这方面，属于新兴功能聚合物类别的材料为设计新型先进系统提供了令人兴奋的机会：利用它们的驱动响应，可以实现特定的装置。沿着这个方向，具有形状记忆效应（SME）或形状变化效应（SCE）的材料一直是旨在设计作为人造肌肉的致动器的广泛研究的主题。在这里，我们简要回顾了活性聚合物在人造肌肉设计中的性能和主要应用。
基于最近的科学文献，综述了与形状记忆聚合物（SMP）和电活性聚合物（EAP）的材料性能相关的主要方面。通过初步给出一个涵盖其基本性能新理论的定义，介绍了热活化SMP中的SME。简要介绍了EAP，描述了其工作机制，并鉴于其作为致动器的应用突出了主要性能和缺点。对于这两类材料，都提供了在人造肌肉中有效应用的一些关键示例。
描述了聚合物结构设计在制造主动运动系统方面的潜力，以展望主要成就和新的研究活动。
