Piezoelectric polymer sheets are presently supplied with metallic electrodes that have thickness comparable to the polymer sheet, so the electrode stiffness substantially degrades the performance of actuators or sensors made of such sheets. Our goal is to determine whether use of polymer electrodes is feasible for some actuator and sensor applications. We have developed a method for applying conducting polymer electrodes to poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) sheets. The flexibility of such electrodes should enhance the piezoelectric response of devices made from such sheets. However, the lower conductivity of polymer electrodes will limit the high-frequency response of such devices. We are characterizing the conductivity of these electrodes. From this conductivity and from the permittivity of the PVDF, we can calculate the frequency response expected from bimorphs and actuators based on such sheets. We are also constructing bimorphs and actuators made of such sheets, and will test their response at various temperatures over a wide frequency range. By comparing the calculations with test results, we can refine our models for bimorph and actuator performance.
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