Chapter 8: Modeling for Engineering Design of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite Devices: From a Continuum Electromechanical Model to its Lumped-parameter Representation

This chapter presents the main issues related to the use of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) in electromechanical systems. The set of core topics covered are: continuum electromechanical modeling of the IPMC material; its application to a new category of electromechanical devices, as well as the proposal of new topologies; and modification of the IPMC physical properties for the improvement of its electromechanical performance. The chapter also provides insight into a set of topics that is not always advantageous for the use of the IPMC materials in electromechanical systems and has been “many, many times ignored” in most published research. The set of less favorable aspects for the IPMC materials certainly indicates what challenges still exist in this area and need to be resolved in order to further enhance the ionic electroactive materials as IPMCs.