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Physical Evidence of Stress-Induced Conformational Changes in Polymers

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Abstract

Background

Polymer mechanics and characterization is an active area of research where a keen effort is directed towards gaining a predictive and correlative relationship between the applied loads and the specific conformational motions of the macromolecule chains.

Objective

Therefore, the objective of this research is to introduce the preliminary results based on a novel technique to in situ probe the mechanical properties of polymers using non-invasive, non-destructive, and non-contact terahertz spectroscopy.

Methods

A dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) structure is used as the loading mechanism to avoid obscuring the beam path of transmission terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. In DEAs, the applied voltage results in mechanical stresses under the active electrode area with far-reaching stretching in the passive area. Finite element analysis is used to model and simulate the DEA to quantify the induced stresses at the observation site over a voltage range spanning from 0 V to 3000 V. Additionally, a novel analysis technique is introduced based on the Hilbert-Huang transform to exploit the time-domain signals of the ultrathin elastomeric film and to defy the limits set forth by the current state-of-the-art analysis techniques.

Results

The computational result shows a nonlinear relationship between the effective stresses and the applied voltage. Analysis of the terahertz time-domain signals shows a shift in the delay times and a decrease in signal peak amplitudes, whereas these characteristics are implicitly related to the change in the index of refraction.

Conclusions

In all, the results evidentially signify the interrelationship between the conformational changes and applied mechanical stress.

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Acknowledgements

The research leading to these results was supported in part by the United States Department of Defense under Grant Agreement No. W911NF1410039 and W911NF1810477. The authors are grateful to the guidance of Dr. Roshdy Barsoum of the Office of Naval Research. The research was also supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 1925539.

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  1. Experimental Mechanics Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-1323, USA

    N. Huynh & G. Youssef

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Correspondence to G. Youssef.

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The authors confirm that the manuscript has only been submitted to the Journal of Experimental Mechanics for consideration. The authors contributed equally to the research leading to the publication as well as to the composition of the manuscript. The authors further report no conflict of interest.

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Huynh, N., Youssef, G. Physical Evidence of Stress-Induced Conformational Changes in Polymers. Exp Mech 61, 469–481 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-020-00673-7

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