Strain monitoring in reduced graphene oxide‐coated glass fiber/epoxy composite

• Published in: Polymer composites Vol. 43; no. 11; pp. 7913 - 7927
• Main Authors: Reghat, Mojdeh, Fuss, Franz Konstantin, Middendorf, Peter, Bjekovic, Robert, Hyde, Lachlan, Hameed, Nishar, Fox, Bronwyn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.11.2022; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Flexural strength; glass fiber; Glass fiber reinforced plastics; Glass-epoxy composites; Graphene; graphene‐oxide; Mechanical properties; Modulus of elasticity; piezoresistive composites; Sensors; strain sensors; structural health monitoring; Thermal reduction
• ISSN: 0272-8397; 1548-0569
• DOI: 10.1002/pc.26918

This study investigates the influence of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coated glass fabrics on the strain sensing and the mechanical characteristics of fiber‐reinforced composites. Graphene oxide was applied in two thicknesses (threefold and fivefold coatings) onto a fabric using a padder mangle machine followed by thermal reduction and infused with an epoxy to manufacture rGO‐enhanced composite. The tensile modulus and flexural strength of the rGO‐enhanced composites with threefold coating were improved by 27% and 6.2%, respectively, compared with the equivalent composite manufactured without rGO. The normalized resistance (ΔR/R0) of composites increased by 0.89% and 3.48% under a cyclic tensile force of 1000 and 4000 N. The magnitude of ΔR/R0 was stable within 30 cycles suggesting a consistent strain sensing performance with a gauge factor of 15.55. The electrical response of the rGO‐enhanced composite was evaluated using a new industrial standard for sensors, by assessing calibration curves. The composite showed low hysteresis and low electrical viscosity which make these materials suitable for industrial piezoresistive strain sensors.