Ferrofluid-Impregnated Paper Actuators
Abstract
In this paper, we report on an inexpensive method of fabricating miniature magnetic actuators using ferrofluid-impregnated paper. Different types of papers (including soft tissue paper, cleanroom paper, Whatman-1 filter paper, printer paper, and newspaper) were loaded with oil-based ferrofluid, micromachined by a CO(2) laser and coated with a thin layer of parylene-C. The soaking capability of the different papers was investigated, with the soft tissue paper having the highest loading capacity, being able to absorb ferrofluid by as much as six times its original weight. Cantilever actuators fabricated from cleanroom and filter papers were able to generate the largest force (> 40-mg equivalent force), whereas the soft-tissue-paper cantilevers provided the greatest deflection (40 degrees tip angle).
Keywords
Cellulose; ferrofluid; magnetic actuators; paper; parylene; smart materials
DOI
10.1109/JMEMS.2010.2100026
Citation
Ferrofluid-Impregnated Paper Actuators Zhenwen Ding; Pinghung Wei; Girish Chitnis; Babak Ziaie Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems Year: 2011, Volume: 20, Issue: 1 Pages: 59 - 64
Date of this Version
2-2011
Recommended Citation
Ding, Zhenwen; Wei, Pinghung; Chitnis, Girish; and Ziaie, Babak, "Ferrofluid-Impregnated Paper Actuators" (2011). Birck and NCN Publications. Paper 1064.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JMEMS.2010.2100026