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“Electroactive polymers are fine, lightweight
and flexible, and can be integrated using simple procedures. They cost very little in terms of energy and offer infinite opportunities.”
Is there a market for electroactive materials?
Fabrice Domingues Dos Santos – Definitely! Electroactive materials, particularly piezoelectric ceramic materials, are all around us. Known since the late 19th century (see frieze below), they are used in watches and lighters, cars, printers (injectors), smartphones (sensors, accelerometers), hospital equipment such as ultrasound scanners, and ship navigation systems (sonars, etc.).
What makes electroactive polymers particularly useful?
F. D. D. S. – Piezoelectric ceramics are hard, sometimes toxic, materials that take a lot of energy to produce, and can only be used for small applications. Printable electroactive polymers can be used to make thin, flexible, lightweight objects with large surface areas, which can be recycled using environmentally friendly methods. Arkema supplies them to its clients in the form of powders, thin films and inks, which they use to make their products.
What do these products look like?
F. D. D. S. – They are electronic devices such as sensors, actuators and transistors that turn surfaces, objects and buildings into smart systems. For example, Arkema sells electroactive polymers to Novasentis, which uses them to make its actuators. These electronic parts communicate information to the user via touch. Next, a video
>e20
billion
Global revenues from piezoelectric ceramic materials in 2020
1969
In Japan, Professor Kawai demonstrated that fluoropolymers – PVDF in particular – could have electroactive properties (piezoelectric and pyroelectric) in certain conditions
>>>
The Japanese chemist Hideki Shirakawa discovered the first conductive polymers
1977
1980s
Development
of a number of polymers with conductive or piezoelectric properties
2000s
Development of relaxor ferroelectric fluoropolymers
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