Piezoresistive Characteristics of Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composites with Different Filler Content and Aspect Ratio for Pressure Sensors

Abstract

Polymer composites enriched with conductive fillers hold immense potential for flexible pressuresensors, because of the remarkable piezoresistive effect they possess. Research on polymer composite pressuresensors has been actively ongoing because of their flexibility and high electrical resistance performance. Thispaper presents a comprehensive comparison of the piezoresistive characteristics of conductive composites forpressure sensors, focusing on the influence of carbon nanotube (CNT) content and aspect ratio. Polymercomposites with conductive fillers, specifically CNTs, have demonstrated significant potential for pressuresensing applications based on the piezoresistive effect. By systematically varying the CNT concentration andaspect ratio, we investigated the impact of these parameters on the piezoresistive behavior of the composites. A pressure in the range of 0-200 kPa was applied to the conductive composite, and resistance change due topressing was measured. The best performing samples were evaluated in 150 cycle tests to verify repeatabilityand durability. Experimental analysis and characterization revealed the intricate relationship between CNTcontent, aspect ratio, and the resulting piezoresistive properties. Through this study, we aim to enhanceunderstanding of how CNT concentration and aspect ratio influence the performance of CNT/PDMScomposites as pressure sensors, thereby facilitating the development of optimized sensing materials forvarious pressure sensing applications.