Abrasion test of flexible protective materials on hydraulic structures

In this study, several kinds of flexible protective materials sprayed with polyurea elastomers （hereinafter referred to as polyurea elastomer protective material） were adopted to meet the abrasion resistance requirement of hydraulic structures, and their abrasion resistances against the water flow with suspended load or bed load were studied systematically through tests. Natural basalt stones were adopted as the abrasive for simulation of the abrasion effect of the water flow with bed load, and test results indicate that the basalt stone is suitable for use in the abrasion resistance test of the flexible protective material. The wear process of the polyurea elastomer protective material is stable, and the wear loss is linear with the time of abrasion. If the wear thickness is regarded as the abrasion resistance evaluation factor, the abrasion resistance of the 351 pure polyurea is about twice those of pure polyurea with a high level of hardness and aliphatic polyurea, and over five times that of high-performance abrasion-resistant concrete under the abrasion of the water flow with suspended load. It is also about 50 times that of high-performance abrasion-resistant concrete under the abrasion of the water flow with bed load. Overall, the abrasion resistance of pure polyurea presented a decreasing trend with increasing hardness. Pure polyurea with a Shore hardness of D30 has the best abrasion resistance, which is 60 to 70 times that of high-performance abrasion-resistant concrete under the abrasion of the water flow with bed load, and has been recommended, among the five kinds of pure polyurea materials with different hardness, in anti-abrasion protection of hydraulic structures.

New method for measuring high field electrostrictive response of barium titanate/polyurethane elastomer

A new method for measuring the characteristic of electrostriction by a digital speckle correlation method （DSCM） is presented. The in-plane displacement is obtained by using the DSCM, and the out-plane displacement is obtained by the geometrical relation of the triangle theory. In this application, high field electrostrictive strains of barium titanate/polyurethane elastomer composite materials are measured. The electrostrictive strain is evaluated when the application of an electric field is repeated, and then the electrostrictive coefficient of the sample is obtained. To improve the measuring accuracy, the bilinear interpolation of gray value is used to obtain the sub-pixel gray value. The results are compared with those obtained from the surface fitting algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the electrostrictive response of polyurethane increases with the introduction of barium titanate into polyurethane. And by using the DSCM, the measurement of the characteristic of electrostriction can be done quickly and accurately. The DSCM provides an effective tool for the evaluation of electrostrictive response.

Degradation of Polymer &Elastomer Exposed to Chlorinated Water—A Review

In water industry, the chlorine is mostly used as a disinfectant agent. The chlorine present in potable water as a disinfectant has been reported to reduce the lifetime of contact polymeric material. This occurs in polymer pipes and it is now very common in plumbing and other parts of the drinking water distribution system. For more than 50 years, Polymer & Elastomeric materials have been used ubiquitously in drinking water distribution systems. Polymer & Elastomeric materials have successfully been used in a variety of applications ranging from rubber gaskets, to valves, to hydrants, to fittings. Polymer & Elastomers that degrade more quickly than expected create service problems, make it difficult for utilities to cost efficient plan preventive maintenance programs, and negatively affect customer relations. This review paper gives an insight idea to a reader about the selection of proper polymer & elastomer and predicting its performance in chlorinated water. Also the mechanism of degradation of Polymer & elastomer in chlorine environment and some model of life expectancy of in-service of Polymer & elastomer in various conditions and parameter in chlorinated water were discussed.

Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robotic Arm for Adaptable Grasping

Developing robotic manipulators capable of performing effective physical interac- tion tasks is a challenging topic. In this study, we design a soft robotic arm （SRA） with multiple degrees of freedom inspired by the flexible structures and the unique motion mechanism of the octopus arm. The SRA is fabricated with elastomeric materials, which consists of four series of integrated pneumatic chambers that play similar roles as the muscles in the octopus arm can achieve large bending in various directions with variable stiffness. This SRA displays specified movements via controlling pressure and selecting channels. Moreover, utilizing parallel control, the SRA demonstrates complicated three-dimensional motions. The force response and motion of the SRA are determined both experimentally and computationally. The applications of the present SRA include tightly coiling around the objects because of its large bending deformation （nearly 360°）, grasping multiple objects, and adjusting the grabbing mode in accordance with the shape of objects.

THEORY OF DIELECTRIC ELASTOMERS

In response to a stimulus, a soft material deforms, and the deformation provides a function. We call such a material a soft active material （SAM）. This review focuses on one class of soft active materials： dielectric elastomers. When a membrane of a dielectric elastomer is subject to a voltage through its thickness, the membrane reduces thickness and expands area, possibly straining over 100%. The dielectric elastomers are being developed as transducers for broad applications, including soft robots, adaptive optics, Braille displays, and electric generators. This paper reviews the theory of dielectric elastomers, developed within continuum mechanics and thermodynamics, and motivated by molecular pictures and empirical observations. The theory couples large deformation and electric potential, and describes nonlinear and nonequilibrium behavior, such as electromechanical instability and viscoelasticity. The theory enables the finite element method to simulate transducers of realistic configurations, predicts the efficiency of electromechanical energy conversion, and suggests alternative routes to achieve giant voltage-induced deformation. It is hoped that the theory will aid in the creation of materials and devices.