Sensing performance of ionic polymer metal composites with Ag as electrodes

Ion-exchange polymer metal composites with Ag as electrodes (Ag-IPMC) samples were manufactured by the chemical deposition method at the reaction temperature of 23℃ and 10℃. As shown from the morphologies of samples observed by SEM and EDAX, the samples manufactured at reaction temperature of 10℃ possess better electrode deposition effects than those manufactured at 23℃, and the thicknesses of surface and interlocked electrodes increase by 25% and 34%, respectively, and cracking and spalling on surface electrodes are suppressed. Sensing characteristics of samples with thickness of 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm at reaction temperature of 10℃ were tested and analyzed. The results indicate that samples voltage output and sensitivity obviously increase with increasing sample thickness. All samples are sensitive to low frequency excitation, especially within the range of 0.3-0.8 Hz. As the excitation frequency is 0.65 Hz, the sensing voltage and sensitivity of sample in thickness of 0.8 mm are 17.82 mV and 1030.06 mV/mm, respectively.