Some of the activities i'm working on...

1. Activities
Some of the activities I’m working on…
Dr Fabia Galantini, PhD

2. Chemical synthesis
Sinthesis of new dielectric elastomers (DEs) with:
- high dielectric constant ( 10 < ε'< 20 @ 10 Hz)
- low elastic modulus ( ∼200 kPa @ 100% strain, 25 mm/min)
- good electromechanical performance
(high strain, high dielectric strenght)
- low solvent consumption during preparation
- transparency
- stability over time
- low ions absorption

3. Composites and blends preparation
Blends
Matrix
Interphase
Inclusions ε3
ε1
ε2
Silicone + polyurethane
Polyurethane +
conjugated polymer
Composites
ε1
ε3
Matrix
Inclusion
Polyurethane + PMN-PT
Rubber/rubber
composite

4. Electro-physical modification of materials
PU+H2O
1. Poling of ferroelectric ceramic tablets for mechanical energy transduction (for wearable applications,
e.g. energy harvesting from gait)
BaTiO3
0 2 4
-0,06
-0,04
-0,02
0,00
0,02
0,04
0,06
V
Tempo(s)
2. Creation of voids and poling of gas inside and bulk dipoles in order to create “electrets” with
improved electromechanical properties (for wearable and robotics applications)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
--------------------------------------------
+ + ++
- - - - -
CATHODE
ANODE
-
-
+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
--------------------------------------------
++
-
- - - -
+ + + +
+ + ++
- - - - -
+
-
- - - -
+ + + +
+ + ++
- - - - -
+
-
- - - -
+ + + +
Poling conditions:
Corona Voltage: 2-4 kV
Time of exposure: 15 sec, 3 min, 5 min
Ambient conditions:
Gas = air
Pressure = 1 atm
Temperature ∼ 25°
Umidity ∼ 50%
V
Electrode 1
(array of 12
steel needles)
Electrode 2
(steel disk)
5 mm
Sample

5. Characterization (of the developed materials)
Electromechanical
Dielectric Morphological
Optical
Electronic
(SEM & TEM)
Chemical
(GPC, XRD,
NMR, DSC…)
ATR-IR TGA
Tensile
Mechanical
DMTA

6. Applications
1. Biomedical (DEs as artificial muscles), robotics, Braille and electronic applications
Smiling Geminoid F, an android
robot driven by pneumatic
actuators, Osaka University
NASA JPL Jet propulsion
Laboratory, California
Institute of Technology
Carpi F. et al., Stretching dielectric elastomer
perfrormance, Science, vol. 330, 1759-1761, 2010
NASA spiral dielectric
elastomer actuator acting as
biceps (contracting muscle)
Piezocapacitive sensor
1
2
2. Wearable applications (sensorized textiles)
3. Robotic (actuated and sensorized skin)

7. Designing and modelling
3D CAD designing
2D CAD designing
FEM
Theoretical model validation

8. Scientific production (some of…)