Search Results (4)

This study presents a wide-linear-range flexible pressure sensor based on a gradient non-uniform porous structure. Through co-optimization of material composition and structural parameters, the sensor integrates high sensitivity, a broad linear response range, and excellent stability. The sensing layer is fabricated using a PVC/CNT composite slurry, with interdigital silver electrodes screen-printed on a PET substrate. A porous architecture is constructed via solution blending and a template method. Innovatively, orthogonal experiments were employed to optimize the conductive filler concentration and porosity. A mixed sugar template comprising particles of 50–75 μm and 125–150 μm was introduced to form a gradient non-uniform porous structure, effectively expanding the linear response range. Experimental results demonstrate that the sensor exhibits outstanding linearity (R² > 0.99) and high sensitivity (5.57 kPa⁻¹) over a broad pressure range of 0–120 kPa. It also shows a dynamic response speed of 50 ms, cyclic stability exceeding 500 cycles, and signal fluctuation of less than 5%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis reveals the synergistic mechanism of the non-uniform pores, confirming the effectiveness of this design in reconciling the trade-off between sensitivity and linear range. This study offers new insights into the performance optimization of flexible pressure sensors and demonstrates significant potential for applications in health monitoring and electronic skin (E-skin). Full article

Plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel has large deformation under an applied external electrical field and high driving stability in air and is a candidate artificial muscle material for manufacturing a flexible actuator. A porous PVC gel actuator consists of a mesh positive pole, a planar negative pole, and a PVC gel core layer. The current casting method is only suitable for manufacturing simple 2D structures, and it is difficult to produce multilayer porous structures. This study investigated the feasibility of a 3D-printed carbon nanotube-doped silicone electrode for manufacturing multilayer porous PVC gel artificial muscle. Carbon nanotube-doped silicone (CNT-PDMS) composite inks were developed for printing electrode layers of PVC gel artificial muscles. The parameters for the printing plane and mesh electrodes were explored theoretically and experimentally. We produced a CNT-PDMS electrode and PVC gel via integrated printing to manufacture multilayer porous PVC artificial muscle and verified its good performance. Full article

To date, there has been limited information in the literature on the application of carbon fibre-carbon nanotube systems for the modification of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrixes by micro- and nanometric fillers and an evaluation of the properties of the unique materials produced. This paper presents the results of newly designed unique multiscale composites. The advantages of the simultaneous use of carbon fibres (CFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in PVC modification are discussed. To increase the dispersibility of the nanofiller, CFs together with nanotubes were subjected to a sonication process. The resulting material was introduced into PVC blends, which were processed by extrusion. The ratio of components in the hybrid filler with CF_CNT was 20:1, and its proportion in the PVC matrix was 1, 5, and 10 wt.%, respectively. Comparatively, PVC composites modified only with carbon fibres were obtained. The structure, thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties and swelling resistance of the composites were studied. The study showed a favourable homogeneous dispersion of nanotubes in the PVC matrix. This enabled effective modification of the structure at the nanometric level and the formation of an interpenetrating network of well-dispersed hybrid filler, as evidenced by a decrease in volume resistivity and improvement in swelling resistance, as well as an increase in glass transition temperature in the case of PVC/CF_CNT composites. Full article

This study intends to show the potential application of a non-recyclable plastic waste towards the development of electrically conductive nanocomposites. Herein, the conductive nanofiller and binding matrix are carbon nanotubes (CNT) and polystyrene (PS), respectively, and the waste material is a plastic foam consisting of mainly vulcanized nitrile butadiene rubber and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Two nanocomposite systems, i.e., PS/Waste/CNT and PS/CNT, with different compositions were melt-blended in a mixer and characterized for electrical properties. Higher electrical conduction and improved electromagnetic interference shielding performance in PS/Waste/CNT system indicated better conductive network of CNTs. For instance, at 1.0 wt.% CNT loading, the PS/Waste/CNT nanocomposites with the plastic waste content of 30 and 50 wt.% conducted electricity 3 and 4 orders of magnitude higher than the PS/CNT nanocomposite, respectively. More importantly, incorporation of the plastic waste (50 wt.%) reduced the electrical percolation threshold by 30% in comparison with the PS/CNT nanocomposite. The enhanced network of CNTs in PS/Waste/CNT samples was attributed to double percolation morphology, evidenced by optical images and rheological tests, caused by the excluded volume effect of the plastic waste. Indeed, due to its high content of vulcanized rubber, the plastic waste did not melt during the blending process. As a result, CNTs concentrated in the PS phase, forming a denser interconnected network in PS/Waste/CNT samples. Full article