Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most promising materials in sensing applications due to their electrical and mechanical properties. This paper presents a comparative study between CNT Buckypaper (BP) and aligned CNT-based strain sensors. The Buckypapers were produced by vacuum filtration of commercial CNTs dispersed in two different solvents, N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) and ethanol, forming freestanding sheets, which were cut in 10 × 10 mm squares and transferred to polyimide (PI) films. The morphology of the BP was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The initial electrical resistivity of the samples was measured, and then relative electrical resistance versus strain measurements were obtained. The results were compared with the knocked-down vertically aligned CNT/PI based sensors previously reported. Although both types of sensors were sensitive to strain, the aligned CNT/PI samples had better mechanical performance and the advantage of inferring strain direction due to their electrical resistivity anisotropic behavior.
Highlights
From aerospace to microelectronic applications, the growing demand for multifunctional materials with a set of outstanding properties put carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the map of the most promising ones [1,2]
Morphological differences between BPDMF and BPETOH were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, the presence of CNT agglomerates in BPDMF
The electrical conduction mechanisms in Buckypaper films (BP) and knocked-down CNTs are dependent on the number of CNT–CNT junctions, the alignment of CNTs causes a variation of these numbers in opposite directions
Summary
From aerospace to microelectronic applications, the growing demand for multifunctional materials with a set of outstanding properties put carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the map of the most promising ones [1,2]. While CNTs mechanical performance and piezoresistive response make them suitable for sensing applications, the electric anisotropy of aligned CNTs can be used to infer strain directions [3]. This nanomaterial can be incorporated into polymer-based sensors in several ways: (1) (2) (3) (4). These methods have some manufacturing limitations regarding the homogeneity of CNT dispersion, the impregnation efficiency, and CNT alignment [12,13]. Solutions for these drawbacks can be time consuming and complex
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