Experimental Study on the Effect of Gold Thickness and Concentration of the Electrolyte Solution of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMC)

Ionic polymer metal composites have recently been extensively used in various industries. These are a new generation of smart materials for fabrication of actuators. IPMC is a layered polymer-metal composite processed using advanced technology. The objective of this project is the production and processing of polypyrrole-gold-polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite. The porous PVDF membranes were first sputtered with gold as a conductive layer. The solution of propylene carbonate, pyrrole and lithium triflouromethane sulfonamide salt was employed as an electrolyte for electroplating of poly pyrrole on the gold layer under controlled conditions. The composite layers along with the influence of temperature, current and time of electroplating, electrolyte concentration and thickness of the gold layer on the characteristics of the IPMC were investigated using SEM and FTIR techniques. The results indicated that the thickness of poly pyrrole layer increased with an increase in the thickness of the gold layer and electroplating duration. Meanwhile, the optimum condition of electroplating was obtained in the sample containing 0.1 molar of pyrrole and lithium triflouromethane sulfonamide salt temperature of -25 °C.