Strain Sensing in Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Composites by Electrical Resistance Measurement

In this work multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) dispersed in a polymer matrix have been used for strain sensing of the resulting nanocomposite under tensile loading. This was achieved by measuring the relative electrical resistance change (ΔR/R0) in conductive PVDF (Polyvinylidenefluoride)/MWCNT nanocomposites prepared by melt-mixing with varying filler content from 1.25wt% to 8wt%. The samples were subjected to tensile loading and the longitudinal strain was monitored together with the longitudinal electrical resistance. The results showed that CNTs dispersed in an insulating polymer matrix have the potential to be used as a sensitive network to monitor or predict the damage in polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites.