Unlike well-investigated polymer-based soft actuators such as gel, Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite, conducting polymer, a CFRP-based polymeric laminate possesses quite distinguished properties. It was previously reported that a CFRP-PVC laminate exhibited two-way deflection in accordance with environmental temperature, but it was asymmetric deflection due to the asymmetric laminate structure. In this study, we successfully fabricated a new CFRP-based polymeric laminate which can exhibit symmetric deflection. Despite such a successful outcome, there was large room to improve the degree of its deflection. Improvement of temperature control method for the newly fabricated CFRP-based polymeric laminate resulted in enhancement of the degree of its deflection.
Symmetric Deflection of CFRP-Based Polymeric Laminate