Strain sensing in GFRP via fully integrated carbon nanotube epoxy film sensors

Abstract

Structural health monitoring of composite structures enables early damage detection to prevent critical component failure. Surface-mounted strain gauges are commonly applied to monitor the integrity of composite structures in highly loaded areas. However, strain gauges can only measure strain on the structure’s surface and are exposed to environmental influences. Within this paper, fully integrated carbon nanotube thin-film sensors for strain and damage sensing in glass fibre reinforced polymers (GFRP) via electrical resistance measurements are presented. Single wall carbon nanotube epoxy thin-films were manufactured using a manual film applicator, partially pre-cured, placed on dry glass fabrics and infused in a resin transfer moulding process. The mechanical properties of the composites and strain sensing capabilities of the integrated sensors were studied for various load cases and different laminate lay-ups. Results of quasi-static and step-wise three-point bending and tensile tests show that the integrated films allow for localised strain measurements in GFRP without significant loss of mechanical properties. Open hole tensile tests proof the ability to monitor local strain and damage in highly loaded areas enabling failure prediction via threshold resistance change values. The proposed thin-films enable a tailored strain and damage monitoring of GFRP offering the possibility for measurements at different material depths, over large sections or selectively in highly loaded areas. The manufacturing process is easily automatable and suitable for large scale manufacturing.