Production and properties of electrically conductive polymer composites reinforced with cotton threads

Abstract

The problem of strength loss in electrically conductive composites made with dispersed fillers in the polymer binder is solved by spraying an aerosol of graphite on a textile material with a 3D weave of threads, or on knitwear of fibers with various structure and chemical composition. The loose microstructure of cotton fibers and the developed surface of elastic filaments made of synthetic polymers retain colloidal graphite particles in a layered composite during cyclic deformation. The electrical conductivity of knitwear with graphite changes during stretching due to the reversible displacement of graphite particles, first during straightening and then during stretching of elastic threads. The 130 ± 5 strain sensitivity GF and 12,000 ± 95 кPa−1 stress sensitivity QF of the composites presented in this paper exceed the corresponding parameters of known electrically conductive composites. The combination of a significant change in electrical conductivity with the elasticity of the developed knitwear‐based composite is important for the use in load cells, smart clothes, medical devices, and robotics.