US 7,078,101 B1 · High strain electrostrictive polymer

Abstract

The present invention is a new class of terpolymers for use as high strain electrostrictive polymer films. More particularly, the invention is a class of electrostrictive terpolymers comprising vinylidene fluoride (VDF), trifluoroethylene (TrFE) and at least one monomer having at least one halogen atom side group. The monomer is preferably an ethylene-based monomer and preferably selected to favor gauche-type linkage along the polymer backbone. The halogen atom side group is preferably large enough to move or cause adjacent polymer chains to be farther apart from or away from each other than in the absence of such side group, but not so large that it would inhibit polymer crystallites from forming. The monomer is preferably a chloro-monomer such as chlorofluoroethylene (CFE). The chlorofluoroethylene (CFE) is preferably 1-chloro-2-fluoroethylene or 1-chloro-1-fluoroethylene. The chlorofluoroethylene (CFE) favors gauche-type linkage which favors high electrostrictive strains.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An electrostrictive terpolymer consisting of:

vinylidene fluoride in the range of 65 mole % to 71 mole %;
trifluoroethylene in the range of 26 mole % to 33 mole %;
and
a third monomer, wherein said third monomer is a partially halogenated, ethylene-based monomer containing at least one non-fluorine halogen atom, and selected from the group consisting of 1-chloro-2-fluoroethlylene and 1-chloro-1-fluoroethlylene in the range of 1 mole % to 6 mole % and is a monomer that favors gauche-type conformations along the backbone of the polymer chain of said terpolymer.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High strain electrostrictive polymer

Life of this patent

High strain electrostrictive polymer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8