Open AccessCover Image, Volume 54, Issue 17
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of polymer science part b: polymer physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.65
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1099-0488
pISSN - 0887-6266
DOI - 10.1002/polb.24134
Subject(s) - volume (thermodynamics) , twist , fiber , cover (algebra) , scaling , computer science , physics , polymer science , composite material , materials science , mechanical engineering , geometry , mathematics , engineering , thermodynamics
Ordinary polymer fibers can be converted into high performance artificial muscles simply by twisting the fibers to form coils. Heating causes large length contraction of the coiled fiber, which is driven by untwisting of the fiber. The process is reversed on cooling. On page 1278 of Issue 54, Volume 13 (DOI: 10.1002/polb.24035 ) Geoffrey Spinks and colleagues explore the scaling relationships for the torsional actuation of twisted fibers and find that the amount of rotation is independent of fiber diameter and is determined only by the anisotropic volume expansion and the amount of twist inserted into the fiber. A simple geometric model successfully predicts the torsional stroke and torque generated.