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Electrostrictive Polymers for Deformable Mirror Actuation

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Missile Defense Agency
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 35726
Amount: $60,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1997
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
Etna Rd., P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755
United States
DUNS: 072021041
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Shinzo Onishi
 (603) 643-3800
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Next generation high performance electromechanical actuators will enable the fabrication of new military and commercial devices. Traditionally, the piezoelectric and electrostrictive effects of ferroelectric ceramics have been exploited to fabricates electromechanical actuators. These ceramic materials are technically very mature, are relatively dense, suffer form low field-induced strain, and they fatigue when subjected to large strains. Creare and the Pennsylvania State University propose to develop high strain, electrostrictive polymeric materials that overcome the limiting characteristics of ferroelectric ceramics. Polymeric materials are lightweight, can be easily fabricated into complicated shapes, and can withstand very large strains without mechanical fatigue. During Phase I, we will assess the feasibility of our innovation by fabricating and characterizing high strain, low hysteresis, electromechanical actuators for deformable mirrors made from modified piezoelectric polymers. Based on the results of the material characterization, we will perform the preliminary design of a deformable mirror based on these actuators. During Phase II, we will optimize the fabrication process for the electrostrictive polymers, fabricate a deformable mirror with electrostrictive polymer actuators, and demonstrate the performance gains that are achieved by using high strain polymeric materials for electromechanical actuation. High-strain polymeric materials will enable the fabrication of electromechanical actuators with complicated structures that can be used for military and commercial aapplications as varied as deformable mirrors for adaptive optics, ultrasound transducers for biomedical imaging arrays, structural vibration and noise control, and ink-jet print heads.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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