A novel electrical depercolation model for stretchable nanocomposite strain sensors

Flexible strain sensors have been subject to intense research efforts in recent years, in an attempt to overcome the limitations of their rigid counterparts and find use in demanding applications. In this work, the effective calibration of resistive-type, stretchable strain sensors is discussed. A n...

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Published inNanoscale Vol. 16; no. 12; pp. 6163 - 6175
Main Authors Tomes, Oliver, Soul, Aaron, Zhang, Han, Bilotti, Emiliano, Papageorgiou, Dimitrios G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Royal Society of Chemistry 21.03.2024
Subjects
Calibration
Fillers
Graphene
Nanocomposites
Sensors
Silicone rubber
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Summary:Flexible strain sensors have been subject to intense research efforts in recent years, in an attempt to overcome the limitations of their rigid counterparts and find use in demanding applications. In this work, the effective calibration of resistive-type, stretchable strain sensors is discussed. A new model for the piezoresistive response of stretchable polymer nanocomposite strain sensors is presented which facilitates calibration over the full conducting strain range of the material. This offers the potential to vastly improve the practical working range of sensors made using soft conductive nanocomposites, as well as to obtain key information towards improvement of sensing performance. The model has been successfully applied to multiple experimental measurements on silicone rubber (SR) nanocomposites reinforced with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) over a range of filler loadings. The effect of parameters such as filler dimensions, filler orientation and dispersion state is discussed, while predictions on sensitivity and working range are made on the basis of interparticle distance modelling. Our new piezoresistive model unleashes the full sensing potential of nanocomposites, enabling accurate calibration across the entire conducting strain range and establishing a new framework for exploring key insights into optimising performance.
Bibliography:Dr Dimitrios Papageorgiou is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Materials Science at the School of Engineering and Materials Science of Queen Mary University of London (UK), where he is leading research activities on polymers, composites and nanomaterials engineering. He received his BSc, MSc and PhD in Physics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). Dimitrios' research follows a holistic approach from the development of functional polymers and composites, to the detailed analysis and modelling of their properties, targeting application markets. His work has been recognised through multiple awards, including the 2022 Rosenhain Medal from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
https://doi.org/10.1039/d3nr05234f
Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI
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ISSN:2040-3364
2040-3372
2040-3372
DOI:10.1039/d3nr05234f