3D printed composites doped with CNTs with self-sensing capabilities

Abstract

In the last years, 3D printing is attracting the interest from the industry and scientific community because of the reduction of manufacturing times and machining processes. Furthermore, it is important to develop materials with new functionalities or enhanced properties regarding the currently available materials In this context, the addition of nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), is arousing much interest. More specifically, CNTs have a vast potential in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) applications, due to their piezoresistive behaviour and tunnelling conduction mechanisms providing a great electrical sensitivity under strain. The present study aims to exploit those CNT capabilities for SHM purposes, combining them with the 3D printing manufacturing technology. To achieve this, Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing technique has been used to obtain composite materials based on a commercial resin doped with CNTs, by varying the nanoparticles content. First results obtained for tensile and flexural tests show an electrical sensitivity slightly higher to the typical values of metallic gauges, thus, proving a high potential for strain monitoring applications.