REVIEW:

- ARJUN SATHEESH
7th Semester, B.Tech
Polymer Science and
Engineering
CUSAT
  An input device which provides an output (signal) with

SENSORS
respect to a specific input physical quantity.

 Challenges to sensor applications

 Lifetime and durability
 Noise and EMI
 Difficulty in
incorporating/adopting

https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/instruments-controls/sensors#Flow
https://www.engineersgarage.com/articles/sensors
https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/instruments-controls/sensors#Flow
https://www.engineersgarage.com/articles/sensors
FLEXIBLE SENSORS
 Present networked everyday life of individuals to form Internet of Things (IoT).
 Dynamic parts, arbitrarily curved surfaces and lightweight, sleek designs
 Smaller designs; efficient capture of
target analytes and better signals
 Biomedical application such as long-
term toxicity analysis.
 Automation of processes and smart
homes
 Flexible substrates PI, PEEK, PEN, PET,
PES, PDMS etc.

S. Patel, H. Park, P. Bonato et al., “A review of wearable sensors and systems with application in
rehabilitation,” Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1, 2012
 CARBON FIBERS
 First commercial application by Thomas
Small
dimensions
Edison.
(5–10 μm)
 Generally synthesized by organic precursor
High aspect High routes:
ratio conductivity
 Viscose Rayon (carbon yield ~ 30%)
Attractive  PAN Fibers (carbon yield 50-55%)
features
 Isotropic and Mesophase pitch
Good
Thermal
strength to
stability
weight ratio.

Superior
mechanical
strength
PDMS ELASTOMER
 Polydimethylsiloxane elastomer is a
transparent elastomer formed by crosslinking
PDMS (silicone) oil. (Tg=-125oC)
Transparency

 Applications:
Attractive
features

Flexibility

Biocompatibility
MATERIALS 50
µm

Milled
150
Carbon µm
Fibres

250
µm

https://consumer.dow.com/content/dam/dcc/documents/en-
us/productdatasheet/11/11-31/11-3184-sylgard-184-
elastomer.pdf?iframe=true

https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=1814.php
FABRICATION OF CONDUCTIVE NANOCOMPOSITES
 CF/PDMS blends were
10:1 Mixing fabricated at different
Ratio weight %;

• 10% 2cm x 1cm x 500 µm

• 15%

Degassing • 25%
30 mins, 27oC
• 30%
3 mins
• 40% 120oC, 10 MPa

• 50%

• 60% 4-point terminal

sensing
FABRICATION OF CONDUCTIVE NANOCOMPOSITES

a) 3D printed master with micro

features.
b) Electrically conductive
nanocomposites poured on
master
c) Excess nanocomposites
scrapped of the master
110oC for 30mins

d) Curing the composites on the

heating plate
e) Pouring of PDMS on the master
f) PDMS-PDMS nanocomposites
peeled of the master
RESULT
SEM IMAGES
(a) 10 wt% of carbon fiber length, 250 μm sample, (b) 15 wt% of carbon fibers, length 150 μm, (c) Cross section of 40 wt%
of carbon fibers, (d) Carbon fibers dispersion along the width of the sample, (e) Cut on the surface shows the fibers
dispersed in height, (f) 50 wt% length and 150 μm sample.
 Sample was placed in a 3D
printed jig for 4-point terminal
sensing.

 V=I x Rs
 ρ= Rs x thickness ; σ=1/ρ

Weight (%) 10 15 20 30 40 50 60
Bulk Resistance 810000 7.5 3 2.6 0.435 .105 .102
4-Point 250 μm (Ω)
Bulk Resistance 5400000 34.2 15.95 10.9 2.35 0.46 0.275
4-Point 150 μm (Ω)
Bulk Resistance 3250000 27000 9850 76 13.235 6.5 1.15
4-Point 50 μm (Ω)
Resistivity 250 μm 405 0.00375 0.0015 0.0013 0.0002175 0.0000525 0.000051
(Ω m)
Resistivity 150 μm (Ω 2700 0.0171 0.007975 0.00545 0.001175 0.00023 0.0001375
m)
Resistivity 50 μm 1625 13.5 4.925 0.038 0.0066175 0.00325 0.000575
(Ω m)

CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS
  Percolation threshold:

250 μm 30 wt %
150 μm 40 wt %
50 μm 50 wt%

 Conductivity increases with

increase in wt% of CF

CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS
 Thermal degradation at 480 °C and 780 °C
TGA & DTA RESULTS 
for the nanocomposites.
DYNAMIC MECHANICAL  Incorporation of milled CF improved the
mechanical properties of nanocomposites.
ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION
 Incorporation of milled CF in PDMS lead to:

 Enhanced electrical conductivity, thermal stability

and mechanical properties.

 Percolation threshold (wt%) is inversely related to

length of fibers in the nanocomposite fabrication

 CF is a cheaper alternative to CNTs and Graphene as

conductive nanofiller

 Application: Robotics, Medical Prosthetics, Biomedical

implants etc.
WEARABLE SENSOR

 PDMS/CNF strips were cured and bonded to glove

 Signal response of individual finger was recorded
for 90o bends
SEM IMAGES
Representative SEM micrographs at different
length scales of nanocomposite with 8 wt%
CNF content showing uniform dispersion of
CNFs in PDMS
 Distinct, reproducible, and consistent signals show the human motion detectability of the
developed sensor.
REFERENCES
 A. Nag, S. C. Mukhopadhyay and J. Kosel, "Wearable Flexible Sensors: A Review" in
IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 17, no. 13, pp. 3949-3960, 1 July1, 2017.
 doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2017.2705700Han, S.‐T., Peng, H., Sun, Q., Venkatesh, S., Chung,
K.‐S., Lau, S. C., Zhou, Y., Roy, V. A. L. .- “An Overview of the Development of
Flexible Sensors” Adv. Mater. 2017, 29, 1700375
 Khosla, A.; Shah, S.; Shiblee, M.D.N.I.; Mir, S.H.; Nagahara, L.A.; Thundat, T.; Shekar,
P.K.; Kawakami, M.; Furukawa, H.- “Carbon fiber doped thermosetting elastomer for
flexible sensors: Physical properties and microfabrication”. Sci. Rep. 2018, 8, 12313.
 Chowdhury, S.; Saha, M.; Patterson, S.; Thomas, R.; Liu, Y.- “Highly conductive
polydimethylsiloxane/carbon nanofiber composites for flexible sensor
applications”. Adv. Mater. Technol. 2019, 4, 1800398
 R. Velmurugan, “NPTEL- Composite Materials”
“
THANK YOU
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