Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A highly sensitive strain sensor based on a carbonized polyacrylonitrile nanofiber woven fabric

  • Polymers
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, a flexible highly sensitive strain sensor was fabricated using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and carbonized woven fabric based on polyacrylonitrile nanofiber yarn (PNY). The carbonized PNY fabric was prepared according to the following steps: filaments fabricated by electro spinning were twisted into a yarn; the yarn was treated by a sizing agent and weaved as a weft yarn; subsequently, the woven fabric was washed, pressed, and dried; finally, the carbonized PNY woven fabric was obtained through stabilization and carbonization. The effects of the thickness of the TPU film and the structure of the fabric on the sensing properties are discussed. The flexible strain sensor exhibits excellent sensitivity in the high-sensing strain range (average gauge factor = 77.3 within 12% strain) and high durability and stability (more than 1000 stretching cycles at 5% strain). Moreover, the strain sensor exhibits an excellent linear relationship between the strain and relative resistance change and accurately detects a full range of human activities (both vigorous and subtle). Such flexible highly sensitive strain sensors can be easily incorporated onto the surfaces of textiles and within electronics for use in various applications, toward applications such as smart textiles and health monitoring.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen S, Liu S, Wang P, Liu H, Liu L (2018) Highly stretchable fiber-shaped e-textiles for strain/pressure sensing, full-range human motions detection, health monitoring, and 2D force mapping. J Mater Sci 53:2995–3005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-1644-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Yang TT, Jiang X, Zhong YJ, Zhao XL, Lin SY, Li J, Li XM, Xu JL, Li ZH, Zhu HW (2017) A wearable and highly sensitive graphene strain sensor for precise home-based pulse wave monitoring. ACS Sensors 2:967–974

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Park JJ, Hyun WJ, Mun SC, Park YT, Park OO (2015) Highly stretchable and wearable graphene strain sensors with controllable sensitivity for human motion monitoring. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7:6317–6324

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Pang Y, Tian H, Tao LQ, Li YX, Wang XF, Deng NQ, Yang Y, Ren TL (2016) Flexible, highly sensitive, and wearable pressure and strain sensors with graphene porous network structure. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 8:26458–26462

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ryu S, Lee P, Chou JB, Xu RZ, Zhao R, Hart AJ, Kim SG (2015) Extremely elastic wearable carbon nanotube fiber strain sensor for monitoring of human motion. ACS Nano 9:5929–5936

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Georgousis G, Pandis C, Chatzimanolis-Moustakas C, Kyritsis A, Kontou E, Pissis P, Krajci J, Chodak I, Tabaciarova J, Micusik M, Omastova M (2015) Study of the reinforcing mechanism and strain sensing in a carbon black filled elastomer. Compos Part B-Eng 80:20–26

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Suzuki K, Yataka K, Okumiya Y, Sakakibara S, Sako K, Mimura H, Inoue Y (2016) Rapid-response, widely stretchable sensor of aligned MWCNT/elastomer composites for human motion detection. ACS Sensors 1:817–825

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Li Y, Samad YA, Taha T, Cai GW, Fu SY, Liao K (2016) Highly flexible strain sensor from tissue paper for wearable electronics. ACS Sustain Chem Eng 4:4288–4295

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wang F, Liu S, Shu L, Tao XM (2017) Low-dimensional carbon-based sensors and sensing network for wearable health and environmental monitoring. Carbon 121:353–367

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hrovat M, Belavic D, Samardzija Z (2001) Characterisation of thick film resistor series for strain sensors. J Eur Ceram Soc 21:2001–2004

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Barlian AA, Park WT, Mallon JR, Rastegar AJ, Pruitt BL (2009) Semiconductor piezoresistance for microsystems. Proc IEEE 97:513–552

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jian MQ, Wang CY, Wang Q, Wang HM, Xia KL, Yin Z, Zhang MC, Liang XP, Zhang YY (2017) Advanced carbon materials for flexible and wearable sensors. Sci China Mater 60:1026–1062

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Farcau C, Moreira H, Viallet B, Grisolia J, Ciuculescu- Pradines D, Amiens C, Ressier L (2011) Monolayered wires of gold colloidal nanoparticles for high-sensitivity strain sensing. J Phys Chem C 115:14494–14499

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Amjadi M, Pichitpajongkit A, Lee S, Ryu S, Park I (2014) Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensor based on silver nanowire–elastomer nanocomposite. ACS Nano 8:5154–5163

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gong S, Schwalb W, Wang YW, Chen Y, Tang Y, Si J, Shirinzadeh B, Cheng WL (2014) A wearable and highly sensitive pressure sensor with ultrathin gold nanowires. Nat Commun 5:3132

    Google Scholar 

  16. Yu Y, Luo YF, Guo A, Yan LJ, Wu Y, Jiang KL, Li QQ, Fan SS, Wang JP (2017) Flexible and transparent strain sensors based on super-aligned carbon nanotube films. Nanoscale 9:6716–6723

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Zhao HB, Zhang YY, Bradford PD, Zhou Q, Jia QX, Yuan FG, Zhu YT (2010) Carbon nanotube yarn strain sensors. Nanotechnology 21:305502

    Google Scholar 

  18. Zhou J, Yu H, Xu XZ, Han F, Lubineau G (2017) Ultrasensitive, stretchable strain sensors based on fragmented carbon nanotube papers. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 9:4835–4842

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Li JH, Zhao SF, Zeng XL, Huang WP, Gong ZY, Zhang GP, Sun R, Wong CP (2016) Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensor based on facilely prepared three-dimensional graphene foam composite. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 8:18954–18961

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tang YC, Zhao ZB, Hu H, Liu Y, Wang XZ, Zhou SK, Qiu JS (2015) Highly stretchable and ultrasensitive strain sensor based on reduced graphene oxide microtubes-elastomer composite. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7:27432–27439

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wu XD, Lu CH, Han YY, Zhou ZH, Yuan GP, Zhang XX (2016) Cellulose nanowhisker modulated 3D hierarchical conductive structure of carbon black/natural rubber nanocomposites for liquid and strain sensing application. Compos Sci Technol 124:44–51

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Yin B, Wen YW, Hong T, Xie ZS, Yuan GL, Ji QM, Jia HB (2017) Highly stretchable, ultrasensitive, and wearable strain sensors based on facilely prepared reduced graphene oxide woven fabrics in an ethanol flame. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 9:32054–32064

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Liu X, Tang C, Du XH, Xiong S, Xi SY, Liu YF, Shen X, Zheng QB, Wang ZY, Wu Y, Horner A, Kim JK (2017) A highly sensitive graphene woven fabric strain sensor for wearable wireless musical instruments. Mater Horiz 4:477–486

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Amjadi M, Kyung KU, Park I, Sitti M (2016) Stretchable, skin-mountable, and wearable strain sensors and their potential applications: a review. Adv Funct Mater 26:1678–1698

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Wu XD, Han YY, Zhang XX, Lu CH (2016) Highly sensitive, stretchable, and wash-durable strain sensor based on ultrathin conductive layer@ polyurethane yarn for tiny motion monitoring. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 8:9936–9945

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Yan CY, Wang JX, Kang WB, Cui MQ, Wang X, Foo CY, Chee KJ, Lee PS (2014) Highly stretchable piezoresistive graphene-nanocellulose nanopaper for strain sensors. Adv Mater 26:2022–2027

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Zhu JH, Wei SY, Ryu J, Guo ZH (2011) Strain-sensing elastomer/carbon nanofiber “Metacomposites”. J Phys Chem C 115:13215–13222

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wang X, Sparkman J, Gou J (2017) Strain sensing of printed carbon nanotube sensors on polyurethane substrate with spray deposition modeling. Comp Comm 3:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  29. Georgousis G, Pandis C, Kalamiotis A, Georgiopoulos P, Kyritsis A, Kontou E, Pissis P, Micusik M, Czanikova K, Kulicek J, Omastova M (2015) Strain sensing in polymer/carbon nanotube composites by electrical resistance measurement. Compos Part B-Eng 68:162–169

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Darbandi SMA, Nouri M, Mokhtari J (2012) Electrospun nanostructures based on polyurethane/MWCNTs for strain sensing applications. Fiber Polym 13:1126–1131

    Google Scholar 

  31. Wang B, Lee BK, Kwak MJ, Lee DW (2013) Graphene/polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite strain sensor. Rev Sci Instrum 84:105005

    Google Scholar 

  32. Lee C, Jug L, Meng E (2013) High strain biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane-based conductive graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite strain sensors. Appl Phys Lett 102:183511

    Google Scholar 

  33. Liu Q, Chen J, Li YR, Shi GQ (2016) high-performance strain sensors with fish-scale-like graphene-sensing layers for full-range detection of human motions. ACS Nano 10:7901–7906

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Boland CS, Khan U, Backes C, O’Neill A, McCauley J, Duane S, Shanker R, Liu Y, Jurewicz L, Dalton AB, Coleman JN (2014) Sensitive, high-strain, high-rate bodily motion sensors based on graphene-rubber composites. ACS Nano 8:8819–8830

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Li YB, Shang YY, He XD, Peng QY, Du SY, Shi EZ, Wu ST, Li Z, Li PX, Cao AY (2013) Overtwisted, resolvable carbon nanotube yarn entanglement as strain sensors and rotational actuators. ACS Nano 7:8128–8135

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Wang ZF, Huang Y, Sun JF, Huang Y, Hu H, Jiang RJ, Li GM, Zhi CY (2016) Polyurethane/cotton/carbon nanotubes core-spun yarn as high reliability stretchable strain sensor for human motion detection. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 8:24837–24843

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Zhang R, Deng H, Valenca R, Jin JH, Fu Q, Bilotti E, Peijs T (2012) Carbon nanotube polymer coatings for textile yarns with good strain sensing capability. Sens Actuat A Phys 179:83–91

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Li XT, Hua T, Xu B (2017) Electromechanical properties of a yarn strain sensor with graphene-sheath/polyurethane-core. Carbon 118:686–698

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Deng CH, Pan LJ, Cui RX, Li CW, Qin J (2017) Wearable strain sensor made of carbonized cotton cloth. J Mater Sci-Mater Electron 28:3535–3541. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5954-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Wang CY, Li X, Gao EL, Jian MQ, Xia KL, Wang Q, Xu ZP, Ren TL, Zhang YY (2016) Carbonized silk fabric for ultrastretchable, highly sensitive, and wearable strain sensors. Adv Mater 28:6640–6648

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Zhang MC, Wang CY, Wang HM, Jian MQ, Hao XY, Zhang YY (2017) Carbonized cotton fabric for high-performance wearable strain sensors. Adv Funct Mater 27:1604795

    Google Scholar 

  42. Wang CY, Xia KL, Jian MQ, Wang HM, Zhang MC, Zhang YY (2017) Carbonized silk georgette as an ultrasensitive wearable strain sensor for full-range human activity monitoring. J Mater Chem C 5:7604–7611

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Ren JS, Wang CX, Zhang X, Carey T, Chen KL, Yin YJ, Torrisi F (2017) Environmentally-friendly conductive cotton fabric as flexible strain sensor based on hot press reduced graphene oxide. Carbon 111:622–630

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Moriche R, Jiménez-Suárez A, Sánchez M, Prolongo SG, Ureña A (2017) Graphene nanoplatelets coated glass fibre fabrics as strain sensors. Compos Sci Technol 146:59–64

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Lee H, Glasper MJ, Li X, Nychka JA, Batcheller J, Chung HJ, Chen Y (2018) Preparation of fabric strain sensor based on graphene for human motion monitoring. J Mater Sci 53:9026–9033. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-2194-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Wang Y, Wang L, Yang TT, Li X, Zang XB, Zhu M, Wang KL, Wu DH, Zhu HW (2014) Wearable and highly sensitive graphene strain sensors for human motion monitoring. Adv Funct Mater 24:4666–4670

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Foroughi J, Spinks GM, Aziz S, Mirabedini A, Jeiranikhameneh A, Wallace GG, Kozlov ME, Baughman RH (2016) Knitted carbon-nanotube-sheath/spandex-core elastomeric yarns for artificial muscles and strain sensing. ACS Nano 10:9129–9135

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Guo FM, Cui X, Wang KL, Wei JQ (2016) Stretchable and compressible strain sensors based on carbon nanotube meshes. Nanoscale 8:19352–19358

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Li X, Zhang R, Yu WJ, Wang KL, Wei JQ, Wu DH, Cao AY, Li ZH, Cheng Y, Zheng QS, Ruoff RS, Zhu HW (2012) Stretchable and highly sensitive graphene-on-polymer strain sensors. Sci Rep 7:870

    Google Scholar 

  50. Yan T, Tian L, Pan ZJ (2016) Structures and mechanical properties of plied and twisted polyacrylonitrile nanofiber yarns fabricated by a multi-needle electrospinning device. Fiber Polym 17:1627–1633

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Yan T, Pan ZJ (2018) Structures and properties of polyacrylonitrile/graphene composite nanofiber yarns prepared by multi-needle electrospinning device with an auxiliary electrode. J Nanosci Nanotechnol 18:4255–4263

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Yan T, Pan ZJ (2017) High conductivity electrospun carbon/graphene composite nanofiber yarns. Polym Eng Sci. https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.24643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Zhou J, Xu X, Yu H, Lubineau G (2017) Deformable and wearable carbon nanotube microwire-based sensors for ultrasensitive monitoring of strain, pressure and torsion. Nanoscale 9:604–612

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support for this work was provided by Nantong Science and Technology Program Project (Grant Number GY12016025), the Priority Academic Program Development of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions and Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Grant Number KYCX17-1985).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People’s Republic of China

    Tao Yan, Zhe Wang & Zhi-Juan Pan

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Zhe Wang

  3. Nantong Textile and Silk Technology Research Institute, Nantong, 226300, People’s Republic of China

    Zhi-Juan Pan

  4. National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, Suzhou, 215123, People’s Republic of China

    Zhi-Juan Pan

Authors
  1. Tao Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhe Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhi-Juan Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhi-Juan Pan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (MPG 3272 kb)

Supplementary material 2 (DOCX 11473 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yan, T., Wang, Z. & Pan, ZJ. A highly sensitive strain sensor based on a carbonized polyacrylonitrile nanofiber woven fabric. J Mater Sci 53, 11917–11931 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-2432-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-2432-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation