Effect of dielectric constant and electric field strength on dielectrophoresis force of acrylic elastomers and styrene copolymers

The effects of dielectric constant and electric field strength on the deflection angle and the dielectrophoresis force of acrylic elastomers and styrene copolymers were investigated. The dielectrophoresis forces of six elastomers were determined in a vertical cantilever fixture by measuring the deflection distance under various electric field strengths. The forces were calculated from the non-linear deflection theory of the cantilever. As an electric field is applied, five elastomers, with the exception of SAR, deflect towards the anode side of the electrodes. For these elastomers, internal dipole moments are generated under electric field leading to the attractive force between the elastomers and the anode. SAR contains metal impurities (Cu and Zn) determined by EDX. Their presence introduces a repulsive force between the Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions and the aniodic electrode, leading to the bending towards the neutral electrode. The dielectrophoresis forces of the six elastomers generally increase with increasing electric field strength, and increase monotonically with the dielectric constants. AR71 (ɛ′ = 6.33) has the lowest electrical yield point (75 V/mm) but it generates the highest force. On the other hand, SIS (ɛ′ = 2.74) has the highest electrical yield point (400 V/mm) and it generates the lowest force.