Novel Surfactant-Induced MWCNTs/PDMS-Based Nanocomposites for Tactile Sensing Applications

Abstract

The paper presents the use of surfactant-induced MWCNTs/PDMS-based nanocomposites for tactile sensing applications. The significance of nanocomposites-based sensors has constantly been growing due to their enhanced electromechanical characteristics. As a result of the simplified customization for their target applications, research is ongoing to determine the quality and quantity of the precursor materials that are involved in the fabrication of nanocomposites. Although a significant amount of work has been done to develop a wide range of nanocomposite-based prototypes, they still require optimization when mixed with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrices. Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) are one of the pioneering materials used in multifunctional sensing applications due to their high yield, excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical properties, and high structural integrity. Among the other carbon allotropes used to form nanocomposites, MWCNTs have been widely studied due to their enhanced bonding with the polymer matrix, highly densified sampling, and even surfacing throughout the composites. This paper highlights the development, characterization and implementation of surfactant-added MWCNTs/PDMS-based nanocomposites. The prototypes consisted of an optimized amount of sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) and MWCNTs mixed as nanofillers in the PDMS matrix. The results have been promising in terms of their mechanical behaviour as they responded well to a maximum strain of 40%. Stable and repeatable output was obtained with a response time of 1 millisecond. The Young’s Modulus of the sensors was 2.06 MPa. The utilization of the prototypes for low-pressure tactile sensing applications is also shown here.