Shape memory polymer composite (SMPC) actuators have
received significant
attention for applications in space deployable structures because
of their light weight and simple actuating process without any additional
components. However, conventional SMPC actuators exhibit limited deformation
owing to damages caused by the slight elongation of fibers and microbuckling.
In this study, we designed a sandwich-structured SMPC bending actuator
to increase deformability and the recovery moment with two novel features:
multiple neutral axis (MNA) skins and a deployable core. The MNA skins
were fabricated as layered structures of a soft layer (the polydimethylsiloxane/ethoxylated
polyethylenimine layer) and hard layers (the SMPC layer) based on
the MNA effect derived from the large modulus difference between the
soft and hard layers. Under the bending deformation, the large shear
strain in the soft layer significantly decreases the axial strain
in SMPC layers and increases deformability. Applying the deployable
core on the sandwich-structured SMPC bending actuator increases the
recovery moment owing to the deploying force of the core. To the best
of our knowledge, the sandwich-structured SMPC bending actuator composed
of two MNA skins and a deployable core yielded the world’s
largest width-normalized recovery moment of 51.2 N·m/m with the
smallest bending radius of 15 mm.
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