Chemically Engineered Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composite Coatings for use as Remote Strain-Sensors

Abstract

ABSTRACTCarbon nanotubes nanocomposites with unique opto-mechanical properties have been developed as smart coatings. Remote polarized Raman spectroscopy has been used to monitor optical strain sensitivity of deformed coatings and determine local strains on the micron scale directly from stress/strain induced Raman band shifts.Chemically engineered carbon nanotubes and polymer matrices have been developed in order to overcome the limitations highlighted in previous reports. They have proved to be of significance importance in the optimization of the stress transfer between the nanotubes and the polyurethane matrix.