ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER MEMBRANES FOR IN-SITU DYNAMIC MECHANICAL ANALYSIS

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Duration: 8/1/00 - 7/31/03

Co-Investigators: Dr. Ronald Kander (MSE) and Dr. Doug Nelson (ME)

Page Last Updated: 1/12/02

Develop the materials and techniques associated with in-situ dynamic mechanical analysis of polymer materials. Specifically, we will

• Develop an in-situ testing technique for detecting material degradation of polymer membranes.
• Develop a new material processing technique for manufacturing electroactive polymers.
• Apply the new material to the development of integrated diagnostic systems for fuel cell membranes.

• Empirically correlated the hydration of Nafion Membranes to resonance frequency of small samples.
• Developed a test fixture for measuring extensional properties of ionic polymer materials.
• Measured the extensional transduction properties of small material samples.

Parrot, O., Nicolaisen, A., Leo, D.J., 2002, "Extensional transduction properties of ionic polymer materials," to appear, Proceedings of the SPIE.