**2.4 The process of hot-pressing**

The hot-pressing method is used to fabricate numerous thin films of Nafion observe together, which improves the stiffness of bending, reproducibility, and force performance. The key benefits of this process are that it is simple, repeatable, and lucid to regulate the thickness [26]. Mainly the actuators of IPMC are fabricated by this method. Modify the films of Nafion with appropriate dimensions, clean by the acetone, and pile by the polyimide film in the mildew. The mould setup is then positioned between the 180°C preheated setup with presses for 20 minutes without

#### **Figure 2.**

*The schematic method flow of Ag nano-powders coated IPMC actuator [25].*

**Figure 3.** *Fabrication by hot press and stacking [27].*

*IPMC Based Flexible Platform: A Boon to the Alternative Energy Solution DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99434*

pressure, and at 180°C, then it is hard-pressed in the pressure of 50 MPa up to 10 min. After the films are cooled in ambient air to ambient temperature, the film is boiled for 1 hour at 70°C 3 wt% sulphuric acids for 1 hour at 70°C in 10 wt% hydrogen peroxide for 0.5 hours in DI water. Furthermore, dipped in platinum ammine complex ([Pt(NH3)4Cl2]) aqueous solution for one to two days for platinum ions absorption in the piled film. Furthermore, after cleaning the membrane with deionised (DI) water, keeping it at 40°C water of 500 ml, stirring and mixed sodium borohydride (5 wt%, 5 ml) solution in 30 min every interval and also temperature steadily incremented up to 60°C (**Figure 3**).

#### **3. Properties of IPMC**

#### **3.1 Actuation of IPMC membrane**

When a membrane of Nafion-based IPMC polymer is induced to a slight amount of DC potential, the membrane experiences a deformation of rapid bending incline to the anode, trailed by a time-taking relaxation headed for cathode that is in the opposite direction. When both surfaces are connected after the movement of relaxation has clogged, the test sample exhibits a faster deformation of bending in the direction of cathode and, after that, gradually relaxes to its prior position to the anode direction.

#### **3.2 Electrical and mechanical features of IPMC**

It is established that the IPMC holds high modulus of elasticity and stiffness than the Nafion membrane, while both trails a similar pattern from the stress and strain analysis. This is because strain–stress performance is prevailed by the polymer than the powers of metal (as coated as electrode material). At the time, IPMC functions in a mode of bending; there is dissimilarity in mechanical features of the particles of metal (in the electrode) and network of polymer likely to influence one another. Moreover, fabricating a potential strain and stress plot of the IPMC membrane should be tested and cut as a cantilever configuration. The impedance analysis is delineated that IPMC works as an impartially capacitive material in low-frequency (>100 μF) and a resistive material like >50 Ω in higher frequency (**Figure 4**) [26].

**Figure 4.** *Impedance spectra of wet IPMC sample at fully hydrated state [27].*

**Figure 5.** *Schematic representation of the deposition process of higher conductive material [27].*
