Affiliation:
1. Institute of Advanced Ceramic Materials & Fibers, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China
Abstract
In recent years, intensive researches have been stimulated to explore the promising prospect for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the fabrication of novel polymer sensor composites. In this study, the fabrication and properties of a flexible and stretchable composite elastomer fabricated from direct-spun carbon nanotube fiber (yarns) were presented, and the novel CNT fiber/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastic conductive composite shows the reversible two-stage conductivity owing to its unique structure of CNTs fabricated by the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD). As the strain increased from 0% to 10% (Stage I), stretching the oriented CNT fiber/PDMS elastic conductive composite induces a constant decrease in the conductive pathways and contact areas between CNTs depending on the stretching distance. However, this composite elastomer will retain almost stable electrical resistance while being stretched by over 10% (Stage II). Furthermore, the composite shows very little variation in resistance under 187 stretching–releasing cycles up to a pre-strain level of 6%, indicating the outstanding stability and repeatability in performance as stretchable conductors. The microstructure, reversible two-stage conductive properties and mechanism were also discussed.
Funder
Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China
Publisher
World Scientific Pub Co Pte Lt
Subject
Condensed Matter Physics,General Materials Science