Abstract
The demand for high performance multifunctional wearable devices is more and more pushing towards the development of novel low-cost, soft and flexible sensors with high sensitivity. In the present work, we describe the fabrication process and the properties of new polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) foams loaded with multilayer graphene nanoplatelets (MLGs) for application as high sensitive piezoresistive pressure sensors. The effective DC conductivity of the produced foams is measured as a function of MLG loading. The piezoresistive response of the MLG-PDMS foam-based sensor at different strain rates is assessed through quasi-static pressure tests. The results of the experimental investigations demonstrated that sensor loaded with 0.96 wt.% of MLGs is characterized by a highly repeatable pressure-dependent conductance after a few stabilization cycles and it is suitable for detecting compressive stresses as low as 10 kPa, with a sensitivity of 0.23 kPa−1, corresponding to an applied pressure of 70 kPa. Moreover, it is estimated that the sensor is able to detect pressure variations of ~1 Pa. Therefore, the new graphene-PDMS composite foam is a lightweight cost-effective material, suitable for sensing applications in the subtle or low and medium pressure ranges.
Highlights
In the recent years, the development of smart systems and wearable health-care devices has drawn tremendous attention towards the development of new flexible highly-sensitive pressure sensors [1].In particular, special interest has been focused on the study of innovative piezoresistive sensors characterized by high sensitive detection over a wide pressure range, easy signal processing, low cost and simple manufacturing process.A piezoresistive response was observed in elastomers loaded with conventional or nano-sized conducting fillers [2,3,4]
Special interest has been focused on the study of innovative piezoresistive sensors characterized by high sensitive detection over a wide pressure range, easy signal processing, low cost and simple manufacturing process
We investigate the piezoresistive performance of novel conducting PDMS foams coated with multi-layer graphene nanoplatelets (MLGs)
Summary
Special interest has been focused on the study of innovative piezoresistive sensors characterized by high sensitive detection over a wide pressure range, easy signal processing, low cost and simple manufacturing process. A piezoresistive response was observed in elastomers loaded with conventional or nano-sized conducting fillers [2,3,4]. Their manufacturing process is typically multistep and complex, since in general a homogeneous dispersion of fillers is obtained only through chemically modification with functional groups [5]. Elastomer-based conducting nanocomposites are materials whose exploitation is complicated in those fields of applications requiring extremely lightweight and sensitive devices, able to detect pressures as low as 100 kPa [1]. Elastomer-based conducting foams with an Sensors 2016, 16, 2148; doi:10.3390/s16122148 www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors
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