Carbon nanotube-elastomer composites for use in dielectric polymer actuators

The high tensile strength and Young´s modulus of carbon nanotubes have led to much speculation about their uses. Here we have investigated the increase in permittivity of a commercial silicone by the addition of carbon nanotubes. The resulting percolation threshold is an order of magnitude lower than that of graphite/elastomer composites. This is of importance because filled systems which we have investigated previously have demonstrated a dramatic increase in the Young´s modulus of the composite, offsetting any improvement the increased permittivity may have provided the actuator.