title: Thermal diffusion and bending kinetics in nematic elastomer cantilever.
abstract: Vertically aligned monodomain nematic liquid-crystal elastomers contract when heated. If a temperature gradient is applied across the width of such a cantilever, inhomogeneous strain distribution leads to bending motion. We modelled the kinetics of thermally induced bending in the limit of a long thin strip and the predicted time variation of curvature agreed quantitatively with experimental data from samples with a range of critical indices and nematic-isotropic transition temperatures. We also deduced a value for the thermal diffusion coefficient of the elastomer.
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Terentjev
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004058:Diffusion; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D016062:Porosity; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D020724:Elastomers