Dielectric elastomer actuators: materials and design

The review describes the dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), a class of soft mechanical actuators made of functional polymeric materials and composites, which are capable to act as artificial muscles. The principles of operation, design, methods of DEAs fabrication and the required equipment are comprehensively described. Most frequently used DEA polymers (polyacrylates, polyurethanes, siloxanes) are considered in detail, and various modern advanced modification methods are listed. Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMSs) are the most promising materials as DEA membranes. The review presents the state-of-the-art techniques for significant improvement of the performance of PDMSs: the reinforcement of a silicone matrix with different dispersed fillers, the chemical modification using compounds with large dipole moments to finely tune the dielectric characteristics of the silicones, etc. A new classification of DEAs is proposed. The design of more than 20 DEA devices are presented. The bibliography includes 269 references.