Dielectric elastomers based on the commercial VHB tapes have been widely used for soft actuators due to their large electrically driven actuation strain, low cost, and high work density. However, the VHB films require prestretching to overcome electromechanical instability and have high viscoelasticity. In this work, we report a hybrid manufacturing approach to fabricate prestrain-locked high-performance dielectric elastomer (VHB-IPN-P) thin films and multilayer stacks. Four-layer stacks combing the VHB-IPN-P films and bilayer electrodes were fabricated via hybrid process to obtain strong inter-layer bonding and structural robustness of the stacks.
Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) can convert mechanical energy into electricity based on variable capacitance. DEGs can potentially harvest energy from renewable energy source such as wind and ocean waves due to their light weight, low cost, and high energy density. To scale up the energy output, multiple single-layer generator units are stacked to form a multilayer DEG. The fabrication of DEGs with reliable multilayer structure having high deformability and long-term stability remains a critical challenge. We report a scalable multilayering technique to produce robust DEG stacks with circular diaphragm configuration. A 4-layer stacked VHB films showed a threefold voltage gain during constant charge operation and an estimated energy density of 100 J/kg. Furthermore, by introducing a dielectric elastomer binder between the VHB films, we demonstrate strong interlayer adhesion in the stacked DEGs, enabling long-term operation stability. As a result, a 4-layer circular diaphragm DEG survived more than 100,000 cycles of mechanical deformation between 0 and 100% area strain. Carbon nanotube (CNT) coating was used as the compliant electrode. Its resistance remains almost constant after 4000 cycles of conditioning.
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