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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsZoubeida Ounaies, Cheol Park, Joycelyn S. Harrison, Nancy M. Holloway, Gregory K. Draughon
Estimating the term…
An electroactive sensing or actuating material comprises a composite made from a polymer with polarizable moieties and an effective amount of carbon nanotubes incorporated in the polymer for a predetermined electomechanical operation of the composite when such composite is affected by an external stimulus. In another embodiment, the composite comprises a third component of micro-sized to nano-sized particles of an electroactive ceramic that is also incorporated in the polymer matrix. The method for making the three-phase composite comprises either incorporating the carbon nanotubes in the polymer matrix before incorporation of the particles of ceramic or mixing the carbon nanotubes and particles of ceramic together in a solution before incorporation in the polymer matrix.
An electroactive sensing/actuating material comprising a composite of (i) a polymer with polarizable moieties, (ii) an effective amount of carbon nanotubes in said polymer for a predetermined electromechanical operation of said composite when said composite is affected by an external stimulus, and (iii) micro to nano-sized particles of an electroactive ceramic in said polymer wherein a ratio of dielectric constant of said ceramic to dielectric constant of said polymer is at least 50:1, and wherein said nanotubes are incorporated in said polymer in an effective amount that provides a dielectric constant for said composite that is greater than said dielectric constant of said polymer while simultaneously providing for said predetermined electromechanical operation of said composite.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.