Investigation of Piezoresistive Properties of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Filled Elastomer Nanocomposites for Strain Sensor Application

Abstract

The possibility of using nanocomposites prepared with elastomer matrix and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MW-CNT) filler materials as a strain sensor according to the change of piezoresistance was investigated. A systematic study of the piezoresistive mechanism was realized to determine the deformation behavior of elastomer nanocomposites filled with MW-CNT at different concentrations. By measuring the prepared samples' free-state electrical conductivity, the critical filler material amount range indicating the percolation threshold was determined. The resistance changes caused by strains due to the stress applied to nanocomposite specimens showed piezo behavior in two different regions, linear and nonlinear, respectively. The gauge factor found using the change of resistance as a function of the strain was measured as approximately 90 for the linear region and 270 for the non-linear region. MW-CNT filled nanocomposites with a ratio of 2.92% by weight showed reproducibility and excellent recovery performance in cyclic loading tests with 90% and 150% strains. This study showed that by adding MW-CNTs to elastomer materials in optimum proportions, they gain piezoresistive properties and could be used as sensitive strain sensors in dynamic working environments that require high elongation.

Keywords

• Carbon Nanotube
• Piezoresistivity
• Elastomers
• Strain Sensors
• Electrical Conductivity

Gerilim Sensörü Uygulamaları İçin Çok Duvarlı Karbon Nanotip Dolgulu Elastomer Nanokompozitlerin Piezodirenç Özelliklerinin Araştırılması

Abstract

Elastomer matris ve çok duvarlı karbon nanotüp (MW-CNT) dolgu malzemeleri ile hazırlanan nanokompozitlerin piezodirenç değişimine göre gerilme sensörü olarak kullanılma olasılığı araştırılmıştır. Farklı konsantrasyonlar da MW-CNT ile doldurulmuş elastomer esaslı nanokompozitlerin deformasyon davranışlarını belirlemek için piezodirenç mekanizmasının sistematik bir çalışması gerçekleştirildi. Hazırlanan numunelerin serbest halde iletkenlikleri ölçülmüş ve süzülme eşiğini işaret eden kritik dolgu miktar aralığı tespit edilmiştir. Nanokompozit numunelerine uygulanan gerilmeye bağlı uzamaların neden olduğu direnç değişiklikleri, sırasıyla doğrusal ve doğrusal olmayan iki farklı bölgede piezo davranış göstermiştir. Direnç değişikliğinden, uygulanan gerilmeye bağlı uzamanın bir fonksiyonu olarak hesaplanan ölçüm faktörü, doğrusal bölge için yaklaşık 90 ve doğrusal olmayan bölge için 270 olarak ölçülmüştür. Ağırlıkça %2,92 oranında MW-CNT dolgulu nanokompozitler, %90 ve %150 uzamalar ile yapılan tekrarlı yükleme testlerinde tekrarlana bilirlik ve mükemmel geriye dönüş performansı göstermiştir. Bu çalışma, elastomer malzemelere uygun oranlarda MW-CNT’ler ekleyerek piezodirenç özellikler kazandırdıklarını ve yüksek uzama gerektiren dinamik çalışma ortamlarında hassas gerilim sensörleri olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir.

Keywords

• Karbon Nanotüp
• Piezodirençlilik
• Elastomerler
• Gerilim Sensörü
• Elektriksel İletkenlik

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