Chemically-Powered Polymer Artificial Muscles

The Army Research Laboratory Research Associateship Program (ARL-RAP) offers a research opportunity focused on chemically powered actuation of polymer artificial muscles (PAMs). The project involves developing a software model to predict swelling characteristics of PAMs, including accounting for solvent uptake, polymer oxidation states, moving ions, electric fields, and stress. The Fellow will verify the swelling model via various measurements of the polymers in different forms including bulk, membranes, fibers, fiber mats, and PAMs. Close interaction with ARL's PAM work will be necessary. Some work may be done at Adelphi Laboratory Center, but the bulk of the work will be conducted remotely and at the Fellow's university laboratories. The program is designed to significantly increase the involvement of creative and highly trained scientists and engineers from academia and industry in scientific and technical areas of interest and relevance to the Army.