Conductive-on-demand: Tailorable polyimide/carbon nanotube nanocomposite thin film by dual-material aerosol jet printing

A new nanocomposite manufacturing process, Dual-material aerosol jet printing (DMAJP), was developed to fabricate polyimide (PI)/carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposite with tailorable and controllable intra-part varying CNT loading. This process mixes the aerosols of CNT ink and a solution of PI precursor to achieve a homogenous dispersion of CNTs in the PI matrix. The mixing ratio of the two aerosols determines the CNT loading in the nanocomposite, which can be used to control the conductivity of the film. Thickness, nanostructure, and conductivity of the nanocomposites fabricated under different process conditions were investigated. The high degree with which the printed PI/CNT nanocomposite film may be tailored was demonstrated through three examples: a film with different CNT loadings at designated regions; a film with a built-in circuit; and a film with a through-thickness conductive channel. DMAJP is a facile, versatile, and potentially scalable manufacturing process for the next generation of smart nanocomposites. Published by Elsevier Ltd.