Fibers/fabrics coated with conductive polymers exhibit sensing capacities for external stimuli like strain, temperature, relative humidity, etc. In this paper, we present our recent investigation of the sensing behavior and mechanical analysis of polymer fibers coated with an intrinsically conductive polymer, i.e., polypyrrole (PPy). PPy-coated PA6 fibers and PPy-coated Lycra fibers are prepared by chemical vapor deposition using pyrrole in the presence of an oxidizing agent, and their electromechanical behavior under tensile load is studied experimentally. The mechanism governing the electromechanical behavior of these conductive fibers is investigated, and the effects of various factors that are respon sible for variations in the electrical resistance are discussed. An electromechanical model is proposed that correlates the resistance change with the applied strain, the damage level of the conductive fibers, the environmental temperature, and the relative humidity. The model provides a theoretical basis for the analysis and design of electrically conductive fabrics.
Structural characteristics of polypyrrole (PPy)-coated polycaprolactam (PA6) fiber composites prepared by chemical vapor deposition, in the presence of ferric chloride as the oxidizing agent, were investigated. A multi-layered coating structure was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), where a compact and denser layer existed between the PPy and PA6 fibers with two diffused layers on each side of the denser layer. The compact layer had a thickness of 200-300 nm. The experimental results show that there was no chemical interaction between PPy and PA6 in the PPy-coated PA6 fibers. However, there was a stronger interaction between PPy and PA6 molecules in the interphase of PPy-coated PA6 fiber after heat treatment at elevated temperature. The surface morphology of PPy-coated PA6 fibers changed with the application of different processing treatments, e.g. swelling and heat treatment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.