Developing an analytical model for viscoelastic anisotropic dielectric elastomer and investigating the rate dependent electromechanical behavior

Studies on the behavior of dielectric elastomers, as a class of electroactive polymers, often focus on hyperelasticity and dielectric property. However, expanding the use of these materials as actuators in industry depends on a better understanding of the factors affecting their behavior, including viscoelasticity, as well as the possibility of adding new properties such as anisotropy to these elastomers.In this research, using the development of basic relations in continuum mechanics and consideration of governing equations, a nonlinear coupled model for describing the behavior of anisotropic hyperviscoelastic material with dielectric property is presented. First, the presented model was evaluated by step-by-step comparison between the results of its component and experimental results reported in the available literature. Good agreement between the results indicates the accuracy of the model in describing behavior of the materiel. Then, using comprehensive form of the model, for an incompressible material with hyperviscoelastic, anisotropy and dielectric properties, we studied the effect of loading rate and electric field on the behavior of fiber-reinforced elastomers at different fiber angles. Obtained results from applying the model to a sample problem show that increasing fiber angles reduces the stress range, and increases the effect of loading rate and electric field.