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The effect of carbon nanotubes, graphene-like platelets, and another carbonaceous fillers of natural origin on the electrical conductivity of polymeric materials was studied. With the aim of keeping the filler content and the material cost as low as possible, the effect of laser surface treatments on the conductivity of polymer composites with filler load below the percolation threshold was also investigated. These treatments allowed processing in situ conductive tracks on the surface of insulating polymer-based materials. The importance of the kinds of fillers and matrices, and of the laser process parameters was studied. Carbon nanotubes were also used to obtain piezoresistive composites. The electrical response of these materials to a mechanical load was investigated in view of their exploitation for the production of pressure sensors and switches based on the piezoresistive effect. It was found that the piezoresistive behavior of composites with very low filler concentration can be improved with proper laser treatments.
Carbon nanotubes (CNT) embedded into a polymeric foam demonstrate an enhancement in electrical and mechanical properties of the final nanocomposite. The enhanced material with new characteristics, e.g., piezoresistivity, can be substituted with the traditional metallic material to design sensors, switches, and knobs directly into a single multifunctional component. Research activities in this field are moving towards a mono-material fully integrated smarts components. In order to achieve this goal, a simple method is developed to produce piezoresistive polyurethane/CNT foams. The novelty consists in applying the dispersion of CNT considering industrial production constrains, in order to facilitate its introduction into a common industrial practice. Three kinds of PU-CNT foam have been prepared and tested: PU-CNT 1.5%, PU-CNT-COOH 1.0%, and PU-CNT-COOH 1.5%. Polyurethane with CNT-COOH showed an insulating-conductive transition phenomenon when the foam reaches the 80% of its compression strain with a Gauge factor (Gf) of about 30. Instead, PU-CNT showed conductivity only at 1.5% of filler concentration and a steady piezoresistive behavior with a Gf of 80. However, this samples did not show the insulating-conductive transition. Having improved the electromechanical properties of final nanocomposite polyurethane foam demonstrates that the proposed method can be applied differently for design sensors and switches.
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