Analyzing resistance response of embedded PDMS and carbon nanotubes composite under tensile strain

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering Vol. 117; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Liu, Chao-Xuan, Choi, Jin-Woo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carbon nanotubes; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deformation resistance; Devices; Elastomer; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; General equipment and techniques; Hysteresis; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Materials; Materials science; Multi wall carbon nanotubes; Nanocomposite; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; Nanotubes; Physics; Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing; Silicone resins; Strain; Strain rate; Strain sensing; Stress; Stresses; Testing, measurement, noise and reliability; Carbon nanotubes; Strain sensing; Nanocomposite; Hysteresis; Stress; Elastomer; Dimethylsiloxane polymer; High strain; Molding; Elastomers; Stress strain; Strain sensing element; Strain sensors; Tensile stress; Composite materials; Nanocomposites; Multiwalled nanotube; Strains; Stress effects; Strain measurement; Test equipment; Polymers; Nanostructured materials; Strain rate
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mee.2013.11.013

•Polymer nanocomposite for large strain measurements have been demonstrated.•Stress relaxation behaviors in nanocomposite under large strain have been studied.•Temporal logarithmic decay has been analyzed in relevance to stress relaxation. We report the electrical resistive response of an elastomeric composite material, composed of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), to large mechanical deformations. A nanocomposite pattern was embedded in bulk PDMS to work as a strain sensor, and the device was fabricated with simplicity through microcontact printing and cast molding techniques. Testing of the device revealed a significant and consistent change in its resistance subject to large tensile strains (>45%). Some peculiar hysteresis effects of resistance response were observed during the course of characterization. To reveal underlying polymeric mechanisms, stress and resistance of bulk polymer nanocomposite samples were tested under various conditions. As a result, the resistance was found to be dependent on a number of factors such as stress, strain rate and strain history or time. Likewise, stress was also found to be possibly dependent on the same variables.