Modeling Ionic Polymer Transducer Transient Sensing Response

Ionic Polymer Transducers (IPTs) exhibit extraordinary charge sensing capabilities in comparison to other electro active polymers (EAPs), such as piezoelectric materials. It has been proposed that the physical mechanism responsible for this behavior is streaming potential, which can explain this sensing response in all forms of deformation. The existence of an electric signal in shear deformation can currently be only explained by the streaming potential hypothesis. Recently, experimental reports have observed a sustained electrical signal from IPT sensing arrangements over long periods of time, suggesting a more active microstructure than is currently considered. This work presents a simplified model to begin exploring this transient and experimentally observed phenomenon within the framework of the streaming potential hypothesis by looking specifically at shear deformation. There will be an emphasis on the the active microstructure and how the motion of the microstructure affects the development of the streaming potential.