A commonly available material exhibiting reasonable expansion/contract

[OtherRealm]

I am looking for a commonly available, non toxic material (i.e. on the market today for a relatively low price) that exhibits reasonable expansion and contraction in size when electricity is applied. This could be a gas, liquid, easily workable solid but ideally it would be a fabric or flexible rubber/plastic. I know there are jury-rigged (i.e., not currently on the market and requiring further development) ways of doing this using heat, I just was wondering if there is anything currently out there that would get the job done and ideally uses electricity directly and not through thermal expansion . Thanks.

 

[Simon Bridge]

Define reasonable? I'm guessing piezo-crystals are not?
What is it for?

i.e. imbedding dipoles in a block of rubber would make it stretch in an applied electric field.
Ferrofluids can be made to deform significantly in magnetic fields - which you can make with electricity.
The amount of stretching depends on the elasticity of the material - which would be an engineering problem.

For commercially available materials - try "artificial muscle" or "electroactive polymer".

 

[OtherRealm]

I am working on a robotics idea I had, and I would like to keep the cost within reason
I haven’t found anything that is commonly used (and therefore, I am assuming this implies there is nothing commonly available). I have found a recently published paper in Science (February) on using twisted nylon fishing line but so far I have been unable to duplicate their results using what I had lying around. I ordered some other thread that I’m going to try, but I didn’t want to go through a lot of effort if there is something already readily available.

 

[Simon Bridge]

I don't think there is anything you can just go down to the store and buy - except piezo-electric devices - you'd have to construct it out of other materials.
i.e. two small magnets, a plastic tube, and a rubber band - a solenoid at each end.

 

[alphy]

One commonly available material that exhibits reasonable expansion and contraction when electricity is applied is shape memory alloys (SMAs). These alloys have the ability to "remember" their original shape and return to it when a certain stimulus, such as electricity, is applied. This makes them ideal for use in applications such as actuators, sensors, and medical devices.

Another option could be electroactive polymers (EAPs), which can change shape or size when an electric field is applied. They are lightweight, flexible, and can be easily manufactured into different shapes, making them suitable for use in fabrics or flexible materials.

Both SMAs and EAPs are commercially available and relatively low-cost, making them viable options for your desired application. However, it is important to note that further research and development may be needed to optimize their performance and ensure their safety for use in consumer products.