Even for a moderate actuation, a large electric voltage requirement hinders the application of electro-active polymers (EAPs) in many areas. Hence, among other mechanisms, the actuation enhancement in EAPs is performed via inclusions of high-dielectric-permittivity fillers in the matrix material in the uncured stage. Moreover, to obtain an optimum advantage from the high-dielectric-permittivity fillers, an electric field can be applied during the curing process which helps the particles to align in a preferred direction. To be specific, recent experimental evidences show that these particles form a dispersed anisotropy rather than a perfect transverse anisotropic structure. The polymer curing process is a complex (visco-) elastic phenomenon where a liquid polymer gradually transforms into a solid macromolecular structure due to cross-linking of the initial solution of short polymer chains. This phase transition comes along with an increase in the material stiffness and a volume shrinkage. In this paper we present a phenomenologically inspired large strain framework for simulating the curing process of particle-filled electro-active polymers with a dispersion-type anisotropy that can work under the influence of an electro-mechanically coupled load. The application of the proposed approach is demonstrated with some numerical examples. These examples illustrate that the model can predict common features in particle-filled dispersed electro-active polymers undergoing curing processes in the presence of an electro-mechanically coupled load.

中文翻译：

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用分散体各向异性模拟填充颗粒的电活性聚合物的固化过程

即使对于中等程度的致动，大的电压要求也阻碍了电活性聚合物（EAP）在许多领域的应用。因此，在其他机制中，EAP的致动增强是通过在未固化阶段通过在基质材料中包含高介电常数的填充剂来实现的。而且，为了从高介电常数的填料获得最佳的优点，可以在固化过程中施加电场，这有助于使颗粒在优选的方向上排列。具体而言，最近的实验证据表明，这些粒子形成了分散的各向异性，而不是完美的横向各向异性结构。聚合物固化过程是一种复杂的（粘弹性）弹性现象，其中液态聚合物由于短聚合物链的初始溶液的交联而逐渐转变为固态大分子结构。这种相变伴随着材料刚度和体积收缩的增加。在本文中，我们提出了一种从现象学角度出发的大应变框架，用于模拟具有分散型各向异性的，充满粒子的电活性聚合物的固化过程，该分散型各向异性可以在机电耦合载荷的作用下工作。数值算例说明了该方法的应用。