Aerosol printed carbon nanotube strain sensor

Abstract

In recent years, printed electronics have received attention as a method to produce low-cost macro electronics on flexible substrates. In this regard, inkjet and aerosol printing have been the primary printing methods for producing passive electrical components, transistors, and a number of sensors. In this research, a custom aerosol printer was utilized to create a strain sensor capable of measuring static and dynamic strain. The proposed sensor was created by aerosol printing a multiwall carbon nanotube solution onto an aluminum beam covered with an insulating layer. After printing the carbon nanotube-based sensor, the sensor was tested under quasi-static and vibration strain conditions, and the results are presented. The results show that the printed sensor could potentially serve as an effective method for measuring dynamic strain of structural components.

Dynamic Interface Pressure Monitoring System for the Morphological Pressure Mapping of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Therapy

“…A vibratory shaker and a Keithley digital multimeters system (Figure 3a) were used to characterize the reliability of the soft sensor. Referring to the IPC working time and existing literature on soft sensors [29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43], the R sensor was measured under the pressure exerted by a 0.5 kg weight when the vibratory shaker was set at a constant frequency of 1 Hz. The produced electrical signals were collected by the digital multimeters at a sampling period of 10 ms. Figure 3b presents the resistance variation of the soft sensor within 60 s. The response time of the resistance depends on both loading/unloading frequencies of the weight and the sampling periods of the digital multimeters in the test.…”

“…Flexible piezoresistive sensors comprising conformable substrates and compliant conductive materials are capable of detecting the applied pressure or mechanical force through changing current or resistance. Some advanced materials are used to fabricate highly flexible and stretchable strain sensors, including silicon nanomembranes [29], silver nanoparticle ink [30], thin films of carbon nanotubes [31,32], graphene films [33,34], 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene/styrenesulfonate [35], and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based electrically conductive composites such as carbon black [36], graphite [37], carbon nanotubes [38,39], and metallic nanoparticles [40]. In which, PDMS based graphite sensors can detect up to 100% stretch deformation with 50 gauge factors under a strain [36].…”

Aerosol‐Jet Printed Sensors for Environmental, Safety, and Health Monitoring: A Review

“…Despite their higher resistivity than silver‐ and copper‐based nanoparticle inks, advantages of corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, improved stability, and versatility can be potentially unlocked for their integration to numerous applications. [ 53 ] Carbon nanomaterials likewise remain a popular choice, as carbon inks, [ 54 ] graphene, [ 55 ] single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), [ 56 ] multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), [ 57 ] sorted semiconductive derivatives, [ 58 ] and metal composites [ 59 ] thereof. While carbon nanomaterials used alone perhaps cannot confer the same electrical performances as metallic‐based counterparts, they have several advantages when used in conjunction as conductive reinforcements and fillers due to their large surface area and superior mechanical properties; notwithstanding, silver–CNT composite inks have been demonstrated to have considerably lower resistivities than pristine silver inks by functioning as bridges across granular boundaries and defects in the printed lines.…”

“…[107] For instance, sensors based on CNTs and other carbon-based nanomaterials offer high spatial resolution at the nanoscale with the ability to conform to various structural materials when formulated into a compatible dispersion or ink. Thompson and Yoon demonstrated dynamic strain sensors for infrastructure monitoring (e.g., structural vibrations) by patterning MWCNTs directly onto aluminum beams with an insulating cyanoacrylate coating [57] as well as printing a water-based conductive polymer solution on plastic structures. [135] Li et al employed mechanically aligned MWCNT networks, printed silver electrodes, and polyimide substrates to design embedded composite strain sensors with high GFs for engineering applications.…”

Design and Analysis Comparison of Surface Acoustic Wave-Based Sensors for Fabrication Using Additive Manufacturing

“…These technologies can directly print nanoparticles onto the substrate to fabricate a sensing structure. They decrease the process steps and allow the efficient use of the materials as compared to traditional lithography [37][38][39][40].…”