title: Complex interplay of nonlinear processes in dielectric elastomers.
abstract: A combination of experiment and theory shows that dielectric elastomers exhibit complex interplay of nonlinear processes. Membranes of a dielectric elastomer are prepared in various states of prestretches by using rigid clamps and mechanical forces. Upon actuation by voltage, some membranes form wrinkles followed by snap-through instability, others form wrinkles without the snap-through instability, and still others fail by local instability without forming wrinkles. Membranes surviving these nonlinear processes are found to attain a constant dielectric strength, independent of the state of prestretches. Giant voltage-induced stretch of 3.6 is attained.
authors.affiliation: ACMP, Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kollosche
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Suo
authors.forename: Guggi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kofod
mesh_terms: D020724:Elastomers; D017097:Electric Impedance; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics
chemical_list: D020724:Elastomers