Tunable Large-Scale Compressive Strain Sensor Based on Carbon Nanotube/Polydimethylsiloxane Foam Composites by Additive Manufacturing

The compressive strain sensor is an extensively used flexible electronic device because of its capability to convert mechanical deformation to an electrical signal. However, the difficulty in tuning the performance of the strain sensor limits its further applications. Herein, the approach of fabricating a carbon nanotube (CNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) compressive strain sensor, which has both tunable mechanical and electrical performances, is presented. CNT plays the role of reinforcement due to its outstanding mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. PDMS is a widely used matrix because of its softness and nontoxicity. The material extrusion 3D printing method is used to fabricate the composites, due to its advantages of design flexibility and compatibility with liquid-based materials. The foam microstructure formed by removing sodium chloride provides a large-scale deformation of at least 50% compressive strain and excellent elasticity. The strain sensor works durably over 10 000 cycles, with a gauge factor (GF) of 17.4. The compressive strain sensor in detecting both large- and small-scale human motions due to the tunability of CNT/PDMS composites is also tested.

Automated summary

This article presents a compressive strain sensor fabricated using carbon nanotubes (CNT) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that exhibits tunable mechanical and electrical performances. The composite material, produced through material extrusion 3D printing, shows excellent mechanical strength and electrical conductivity thanks to the addition of CNT. It also demonstrates stable performance under large-scale compressive strain.