Computational modeling of electrochemical–mechanical behaviors of Flemion-based actuators considering the effects of electro-osmosis and electrolysis

In this study, the electro-osmosis and equilibrium hydration effects of Flemion-based ionic conducting polymer–metal composites are investigated by developing a computational system for their electrochemical–mechanical responses. First, a one-dimensional finite element formulation based on the Petrov–Galerkin method is conducted for the governing equations that account for the electrochemical responses of a Flemion membrane. Then, the eigenstrains obtained from an electrochemical analysis are used as the initial strain to predict the mechanical responses of Flemion-based actuators. The validity of the present formulation is demonstrated by comparing the calculated results with the experimental data.