Abstract
Here, the piezoresistive behavior and the underlying sensing mechanism of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) composite strain sensors were studied. Aqueous CNT/CNC inks were developed, characterized, and applied on the surface of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites to function as strain sensors. The sensor's behavior and sensitivities at small and large strains depended on the initial composition of CNCs. The sensor with a CNT/CNC composite with composition of 0.8:0.4 (wt%:wt%) had gauge factors of 0.9 and 6.4 at 0.60 % and 1.35 % strains, respectively. At higher composition of 0.8:4.0 (wt%:wt%), gauge factors of 0.5 and 22.2 were calculated for the same strain regions. Through analytical model and morphology analyses, we discussed the influence of CNCs on CNT contact types and on the average tunneling distance between CNTs and the their piezoresistive performance. It was also discussed that CNC particles control the types of contacts between adjacent CNTs. As a result, tailoring piezoresistive behavior was demonstrated. In conclusion, applying a binder-free and environmentally friendly sustainable aqueous ink on a surface of a composite was revealed to be an effective and practical approach for tailored strain sensing.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 114633 |
| Journal | Sensors and Actuators A: Physical |
| Volume | 362 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023
Funding
Hulya Cebeci is a faculty member in Department of Aeronautical Engineering Istanbul Technical University. She is a co-founder of Nanomaterials, Textiles, and Advanced Composites Research Group at ITU and her research is supported by several national and international partners from the aerospace industry. Her current research interest focuses on development of high-performance composites, 3D textile preforms, and sensors for smart wearables and aerospace applications. This work was financially supported by Istanbul Technical University Aerospace Research Center . The authors would like to thank Suat Ebil and Yunus Emre Bozkurt for their help carrying out rheology tests. The authors would like to thank Erdem Kilicaslan for his help obtaining scanning electron microscopy images.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Istanbul Technical University Aerospace Research Center | |
| International Technological University |
Keywords
- Carbon nanotube
- Cellulose nanocrystals
- Composites
- Hybridization
- Piezoresistive