Enhanced performance of electro-responsive PVC gel actuators prepared by advanced rapid thermal melting technique

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel actuators exhibit a contraction-relaxation movement characterized by large strain and rapid response when electrically stimulated, comparable to that of biological muscles, making them attractive for artificial muscles and other actuation purposes. However, the standard fabrication of PVC gel by so-called solution casting has been found to be time-consuming (i.e., typically taking 4–7 days), cost-ineffective, and prone to skin/eyes irritation hazards, limiting its application potential. In this study, a thermal melting method using non-toxic and low-cost stabilizer was proposed to fabricate PVC gel in approximately 10 min. Experimental results show that under the fabrication conditions optimized by Taguchi orthogonal array, the actuation performance of PVC gel is improved, with a contraction strain of 20.62%, an output force of 0.43 N, and a recovery response time of 1.416 s, all of which are superior to that prepared by traditional method. These results open a doorway for fast, affordable, and easily accessible fabrication technology of PVC gel actuators.