Piezoresistive response of Pluronic wrapped single wall carbon nanotube : epoxy composites

Abstract

This paper reports on the piezoresistive behavior of polymer-based nanocomposites, composed of epoxy resins and Pluronic-wrapped carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The samples were prepared with CNT concentrations up to 1 wt.%. Good CNT dispersion was achieved due to the Pluronic wrapping of the CNT, as confirmed by electron and atomic force microscopies. The correlation between the electrical resisitivity and mechanical solicitations was obtained for varying mechanical solicitations. The electrical response is linear over a wide strain range and the values of the gauge factor are ~2.6. The stability of the signal over 32 cycles, the time response to deformatoins from 0.1 to 50 mm min-1 and the stable temperature behavior up to 60 ºC shows the viability of these materials to be used as piezoresistive sensors..