Influence of the number of stacked layers on the performance of PVC gel actuators

Plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel exhibits a fast response in air, large deformation, and low power consumption under an electrical field, so it shows great potential for use as a new type of soft actuator. In our previous study, we developed an expansion and contraction-type actuator using PVC gel and mesh electrodes. In this study, to develop high-performance actuators for practical application, we investigated the relationship between the number of stacked layers and characteristics of PVC gel actuators. The displacement and recovery stress increased with the number of stacked layers. The durability of PVC gel actuators under an electric field for a long period was also evaluated. After 5.4 million electric field-driven cycles, the displacement was about 50% of the maximum displacement, and the recovery stress was almost unchanged. These results indicate that PVC gel actuators will be effective for use in various applications.