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Multicomponent polyurethane–carbon black composite as piezoresistive sensor

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Abstract

Composite of carbon black (CB) dispersed into a multicomponent polyurethane matrix combines the good mechanical properties of the polymer, such as elasticity, with the electrical property of the conducting particles. Electrical current–voltage (I × V) analysis found the percolation threshold through the sample surface to be between 0.6 and 0.8 vol%. Below the percolation threshold concentration (pc), the effect of the Coulomb potential is accentuated on the CB dispersion, while in the region over pc, the London–van der Waals potential is important. The repeatability in the piezoresistive behavior was observed under the application of several loading cycles. The gauge factors obtained were 4.9 and 2.0 for samples with 0.8 and 1.0 vol% of CB, respectively. The results indicate that the material can be used as a piezoresistive sensor.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level or Education Personnel (CAPES) for financial support and to the Mato Grosso Research Foundation (FAPEMAT) for providing equipment to the laboratory and allowing for analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Campus Universitário do Araguaia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Barra Do Garças, 78600-000, Mato Grosso, Brazil

    Eliraldrin Amorin Sousa, Thalita Hellen Castro Lima, Elen Poliani Silva Arlindo & Gilberto de Campos Fuzari-Junior

  2. Departamento de Física e Química, Faculdade de Engenharia de Ilha Solteira, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Ilha Solteira, 15385-000, São Paulo, Brazil

    Alex Otávio Sanches & Walter Katsumi Sakamoto

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  1. Eliraldrin Amorin Sousa
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Sousa, E.A., Lima, T.H.C., Arlindo, E.P.S. et al. Multicomponent polyurethane–carbon black composite as piezoresistive sensor. Polym. Bull. 77, 3017–3031 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-019-02888-8

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