Performance improvement of an ionic polymer-metal composite actuator by parylene thin film coating

IPMC ( ionic polymer-metal composite) is a kind of ionic EAP (electroactive polymer) which is actuated by the movement of cations combined with water molecules in the polymer. The cations and water molecules move due to the applied voltage on the metal electrodes which are located on both sides of the polymer. However, water contained in the polymer gradually evaporates during the actuation and this reduces the performance of the IPMC actuator. To suppress the water evaporation from the IPMC, waterproof material such as parylene, silicone rubber and other polymers were coated on the surface of the IPMC. The displacement, the force and the lifetime of the actuator were observed by using a laser displacement measurement system and a load cell. The water impermeability of the polymer coating with respect to time was measured on a hot plate. Results showed that the parylene coating effectively suppressed the water loss from the IPMC and enlarged the lifetime of the actuator dramatically. However, it was found that parylene has poor adhesion properties to the metal electrode. To improve the adhesion, plasma treatments of argon (Ar), oxygen (O-2) and trifluoromethane (CHF3) were performed on the electrode surface before parylene coating. We evaluated the surface morphology change of the electrode after plasma treatment by SEM ( scanning electron microscopy) and AFM ( atomic force microscopy). In addition, a tape adhesion test and a peel test were performed for quantitative analysis of adhesion strength between the metal electrode and parylene. It was found that the argon plasma treatment was the most effective to improve the adhesion strength between the metal electrode and parylene.