Abstract
Soft electronics based on various rubbers have lately been needed in many advanced applications such as soft robotics, wearable electronics, and remote health monitoring. The ability of a self-sensing material to be monitored in use provides a significant advantage. However, conductive fillers usually used to increase conductivity also change mechanical properties. Most importantly, the initial sought-after properties of rubber, namely softness and long elastic deformation, are usually compromised. This work presents full mechanical and electro-mechanical characterization, together with self-sensing abilities of a vinyl methyl silicone rubber (VMQ) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite, featuring conductivity while maintaining low hardness. The research demonstrates that MWCNT/VMQ with just 4 wt.% of MWCNT are as conductive as commercial conductive VMQ based on Carbon Black, while exhibiting lower hardness and higher elastic recovery (~20% plastic deformation, similar to pure rubber). The research also demonstrates piezo-resistivity and Raman-sensitivity, allowing for self-sensing. Using morphological data, proposed mechanisms for the superior electrical and mechanical behavior, as well as the in-situ fingerprint for the composite conditions are presented. This research novelty is in the full MWCNT/VMQ mechanical and electro-mechanical characterization, thus demonstrating its ability to serve as a sensor over large local strains, multiple straining cycles, and environmental damage.
Highlights
Stretchable electronic applications, such as wearable electronics, soft robotics, personalized health monitoring, and sports performance monitoring, are mostly based on carbon-reinforced elastomers [1,2].Being piezo-resistive, many of these materials have been investigated as pressure-sensors [3,4,5,6,7,8]and strain-sensors [9]
Most focus among these conductive elastomers is concentrated on carbon nanotubes (CNT)-based conductive elastomers, as their superior conductivity and high aspect ratio allow for conductive networks at a lower volume fraction than the commercially available carbon black (CB)-based elastomers [1,3]
Elastomers such as natural rubber [3,10], styrene-butadiene rubber [3,11], and room-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber [4,12] have been successfully reinforced with multi-walled CNT (MWCNT)
Summary
Most focus among these conductive elastomers is concentrated on carbon nanotubes (CNT)-based conductive elastomers, as their superior conductivity and high aspect ratio allow for conductive networks at a lower volume fraction than the commercially available carbon black (CB)-based elastomers [1,3]. Elastomers such as natural rubber [3,10], styrene-butadiene rubber [3,11], and room-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber [4,12] have been successfully reinforced with multi-walled CNT (MWCNT). The first such problem is the high surface area of CNT which, despite enhancing mechanical and electrical contributions, significantly increases Van-der-Walls
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