Mechanical Engineering Research Works

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/1661

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    Fabrication of a Miniature Paper-Based Electroosmotic Actuator
    (MDPI, 2016-11-08) Sritharan, Deepa; Smela, Elisabeth
    A voltage-controlled hydraulic actuator is presented that employs electroosmotic fluid flow (EOF) in paper microchannels within an elastomeric structure. The microfluidic device was fabricated using a new benchtop lamination process. Flexible embedded electrodes were formed from a conductive carbon-silicone composite. The pores in the layer of paper placed between the electrodes served as the microchannels for EOF, and the pumping fluid was propylene carbonate. A sealed fluid-filled chamber was formed by film-casting silicone to lay an actuating membrane over the pumping liquid. Hydraulic force generated by EOF caused the membrane to bulge by hundreds of micrometers within fractions of a second. Potential applications of these actuators include soft robots and biomedical devices.