Development of a Magnetic Compound Fluid Rubber Stability Sensor and a Novel Production Technique via Combination of Natural, Chloroprene and Silicone Rubbers

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 19; no. 18; p. 3901
• Main Authors: Shimada, Kunio, Ikeda, Ryo, Kikura, Hiroshige, Takahashi, Hideharu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10.09.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Addition polymerization; adhesion; chloroprene rubber; Conducting polymers; diene rubber; dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS); Electric currents; Electric properties; Electrodes; electrolytic polymerization; Emulsion polymerization; Engineering; Gamma irradiation; induced voltage; Low temperature resistance; magnetic cluster; magnetic compound fluid (MCF); magnetic field; Magnetic fields; Mechanical properties; mechanical property; metal complex hydrate; Natural rubber; non-diene rubber; piezo effect; Polydimethylsiloxane; Polymerization; Polyvinyl alcohol; polyvinyl alcohol (PVA); robot; Robots; Rubber; sensor; Sensors; silicone oil rubber; Silicone resins; Silicone rubber; Stability; Sulfur; Japan; diene rubber; natural rubber; magnetic field; metal complex hydrate; non-diene rubber; mechanical property; adhesion; magnetic cluster; induced voltage; electrolytic polymerization; magnetic compound fluid (MCF); robot; dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS); polyvinyl alcohol (PVA); chloroprene rubber; sensor; silicone oil rubber; piezo effect
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s19183901

Expanding on our previous report, we investigate the stability of a magnetic compound fluid (MCF) rubber sensor that was developed for a variety of engineering applications. To stabilize this sensor, we proposed a novel combination technique that facilitates the addition of dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS) to natural rubber (NR)-latex or chloroprene rubber (CR)-latex using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by experimentally and theoretically investigating issues related to instability. This technique is one of several other novel combinations of diene and non-diene rubbers. Silicone oil or rubber with PDMS can be combined with NR-latex and CR-latex because of PVA's emulsion polymerization behavior. In addition, owing to electrolytic polymerization based on the combination of PDMS and PVA, MCF rubber is highly porous and can be infiltrated in any liquid. Hence, the fabrication of novel intelligent rubbers using any intelligent fluid is feasible. By assembling infiltrated MCF rubber sheets and by conducting electrolytic polymerization of MCF rubber liquid with a hydrate using the adhesive technique as presented in a previous paper, it is possible to stabilize the MCF rubber sensor. This sensor is resistant to cold or hot water as well as γ-irradiation as shown in the previous report.