Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMC) from a recycled Flemion® membrane

An ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) consists of a thin polymer membrane with metal electrodes plated on both faces. Due to bending in response to a relatively low activationvoltage (1-5V), it can be used as a soft actuator-sensor and/or artificial muscle [1]. Although perfluorosulfonic acidmembranes e.g. Nafion® are generally used in IPMC’s they suffer from high cost. In this study, we developed a low cost IPMC from recycled Flemion® membrane out of Chlor-alkali(CA) industry. The morphology and electrochemical performance of the recycled IPMC were investigated using SEM, SEM-EDX and chronoamperometry, respectively