S. Vinofia
Division of Physical Sciences, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, 641114, Tamil Nadu, India.
Ravi Ranjithkumar
Department of Physics, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Coimbatore, 641021, Tamil Nadu, India.
A. Brusly Solomon
Division of Mechanical Engineering, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, 641114, Tamil Nadu, India.
Sakunthala Ayyasamy
Division of Physical Sciences, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, 641114, Tamil Nadu, India.
DOI https://doi.org/10.33889/PMSL.2026.5.1.003
Abstract
Electroadhesive clutches have demonstrated promising benefits in various gripping applications. This work presents a safe, easy-to-assemble, lightweight, flexible electroadhesive (EA) actuator/clutch that can be operated with low power consumption. To enhance the load-bearing execution of the electroadhesive clutches, an electronically conducting membrane was introduced between the dielectric layer and the electrode. The electronically conducting layer was made by incorporating carbon black in the PVDF-HFP polymer grid and fabricated into films by the doctor blade method in different proportions. The XRD and SEM analyses are carried out to determine the structural information and morphology of the fabricated films. The dielectric, resistivity, conductivity and electrical properties of the films were also tested. Experimental evidence suggests that at 98 V, the actuator can support a 550 g load for a clutch pair with a 6 x 2 cm2 dielectric layer overlap. The conductivity of PCB0.5, PCB1, and PCB1.5 was found to be 0.0048 mS cm-1, 0.0106 mS cm-1, and 0.0438 mS cm-1. This study offers a potentially useful application in rehabilitation, geriatric healthcare, robotic mechanisms, etc.
Keywords- PVDF-HFP, Carbon black, Flexible electroadhesive actuator, Polymer composite.
Citation
Vinofia, S., Ranjithkumar, R., Solomon, A. B., & Ayyasamy, S. (2026). Electronically Conducting Carbon Black/ PVDF-HFP Membrane for the Improved Load-Bearing Property of Electroadhesive Clutches. Prabha Materials Science Letters, (1), 37-50. https://doi.org/10.33889/PMSL.2026.5.1.003.
