Integrated Fabrication of Novel Inkjet-Printed Silver Nanoparticle Sensors on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Nylon Composites.

Büşra Karaş,Patrick J Smith,Zhaoyuan Leong,Kamran Mumtaz,Nicola A Morley,Vimanyu Beedasy

doi:10.3390/mi12101185

Abstract

Inkjet-printing technology enables the contactless deposition of functional materials such as conductive inks on surfaces, hence reducing contamination and the risk of substrate damage. In printed electronics, inkjet technology offers the significant advantage of controlling the volume of material deposited, and therefore the fine-tuning of the printed geometry, which is crucial for the performance of the final printed electronics. Inkjet printing of functional inks can be used to produce sensors to detect failure of mechanical structures such as carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRC) components, instead of using attached sensors, which are subject to delamination. Here, silver nanoparticle-based strain sensors were embedded directly in an insulated carbon-fiber laminate by using inkjet printing to achieve an optimized conductive and adhesive geometry, forming a piezoresistive strain sensor. Following the inkjet-printing optimization process, the sensor conductivity and adhesion performance were evaluated. Finally, the sensor was quantified by using a bending rig which applied a pre-determined strain, with the response indicating an accurate sensitivity as the resistance increased with an increased strain. The ability to embed the sensor directly on the CFRC prevents the use of interfacial adhesives which is the main source of failure due to delamination.

Highlights

Inkjet printing is a widely used deposition technique, which was initially employed in the graphics industry [1] and became popular in manufacturing fields due to the advances in the composition of functional inks
Once a functional conductive pattern is printed and thermal energy is input into the system to improve the conductivity, the performance is first assessed by a visual inspection to detect any surface deformation or cracks, followed by a resistivity and adhesion test to determine whether the pattern is suitable for the purpose of printed electronics
In order to obtain a good sensor, which detects the actuation, the inkjet printing parameters were optimized to yield a conductive pattern without resulting in any delamination during testing

Summary

Introduction

Inkjet printing is a widely used deposition technique, which was initially employed in the graphics industry [1] and became popular in manufacturing fields due to the advances in the composition of functional inks. Printed electronics can be manufactured via inkjet deposition technology by utilising functional inks printed on a variety of substrates, thereby reducing the production costs of electronic devices as compared to traditional expensive lithography techniques. An adhesion test is often overlooked in the field of printed electronics, but it is crucial to evaluate this property for understanding the interface between the printed pattern and the substrate, especially for multi-layered patterns. This additional step of Micromachines 2021, 12, 1185.

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