Modeling and Optimization of the Creep Behavior of Multicomponent Copolymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

Polymer creep can significantly reduce the safety and dependability of composite applications, restricting their development and use in additional fields. In this study, single-factor and multi-factor analysis techniques were employed to systematically explore the impacts of nickel powder and graphene on the resistive creep of sensing units. The creep model between the rate of resistance changes and the pressure was established, and the material ratio was optimized to obtain a high creep resistance. The results demonstrated that the creep resistance was best when the filling particle was 10 wt.% and the ratio of nickel powder to graphene was 4:21, which was approximately 60% and 45% lower than the filling alone and the composite filling before optimization, respectively; the R2 of the theoretical value of the resistance creep model and the experimental value of the creep before and after optimization was 0.9736 and 0.9812, indicating that the resistance creep model was highly accurate. Consequently, the addition of filler particles with acceptable proportions, varied shapes, and different characteristics to polymers can effectively reduce polymer creep and has significant potential for the manufacture of sensing units for tactile sensors.