Graphene assisted enhancement in the cyclic electromechanical properties of polyolefin based multiphasic conducting nano carbon black nanocomposites

Abstract

Hybrid conducting carbon nanofillers and binary elastomeric-thermoplastic-blend based nanocomposites were synthesized to develop highly flexible matrices for strain sensing applications. The effect of graphene on the strain sensing characteristics of a thermoplastic-elastomeric blend which contains conducting carbon nano black (CCNB) above percolation threshold was investigated. The nanocomposites were crosslinked to different extent by high energy gamma radiation and the effect of elastomeric phase, graphene content and crosslink density on the strain sensing response of the nanocomposites was investigated. With incorporation of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), elongation at break increased around 2500% and the gauge factor by 200%. The graphene content had a profound effect on the electromechanical response and with the addition of 0.02 wt fraction of graphene around 300% increase in gauge factor was observed. With the increase in graphene content and radiation dose the elastic modulus also increased significantly. The relative change in the resistance with applied strain was reversible for all the nanocomposites and the mechanical hysteresis reduced with the addition of EPDM.