Abstract
This study examined the performance of a flexible polymer/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite sensor array as a function of operating temperature. The response magnitudes of a cost-effective flexible gas sensor array equipped with a heater were measured with respect to five different operating temperatures (room temperature, 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C) via impedance spectrum measurement and sensing response experiments. The selected polymers that were droplet cast to coat a MWCNT conductive layer to form two-layer polymer/MWCNT composite sensing films included ethyl cellulose (EC), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Electrical characterization of impedance, sensing response magnitude, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) morphology of each type of polymer/MWCNT composite film was performed at different operating temperatures. With respect to ethanol, the response magnitude of the sensor decreased with increasing operating temperatures. The results indicated that the higher operating temperature could reduce the response and influence the sensitivity of the polymer/MWCNT gas sensor array. The morphology of polymer/MWCNT composite films revealed that there were changes in the porous film after volatile organic compound (VOC) testing.
Highlights
Polymer-based sensors are resistive-type gas sensors that are widely used by extant research for gas and vapor sensing owing to their diverse responses to different gases
A flexible polymer/MWCNT gas sensor offers several advantages including cost effectiveness, lower power consumption, reproducibility, lightweight, and flexibility given its potential integration in electronic noses and portable consumer products
The gas absorptions and interaction mechanisms of polymer/MWCNT composite films are dominated by two principles: namely, physisorption and chemisorption
Summary
Polymer-based sensors are resistive-type gas sensors that are widely used by extant research for gas and vapor sensing owing to their diverse responses to different gases. Several previous studies examined the high response and sensitivity of polymer-based sensors for detection of volatile organic compounds [1,2,3]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have stimulated great interest due to their distinctive electrical, physical, and chemical properties that enable the development of sensitive devices in the field of gas sensing [4,5]. Recent studies demonstrate feasibility of polymer/MWCNT composites for detection of toxic chemical agents, inorganic vapors, and volatile organic compounds [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]
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