Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties

Flexible and electrically conductive carbon nanotube/thermoplastic polyurethane (CNT/TPU) nanocomposites have been herein fabricated by selective laser sintering (SLS) for the applications of wearable electronics and strain sensors. CNT/TPU nanocomposite powders were systematically developed by a la...

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Main Authors: Zhou, Meixin, Zhu, Wei, Yu, Suzhu, Tian, Yujia, Zhou, Kun
Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/164020
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-1640202023-01-07T23:31:42Z Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties Zhou, Meixin Zhu, Wei Yu, Suzhu Tian, Yujia Zhou, Kun School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Singapore Centre for 3D Printing Engineering::Mechanical engineering Carbon Nanotubes Electro-Mechanical Behavior Flexible and electrically conductive carbon nanotube/thermoplastic polyurethane (CNT/TPU) nanocomposites have been herein fabricated by selective laser sintering (SLS) for the applications of wearable electronics and strain sensors. CNT/TPU nanocomposite powders were systematically developed by a latex-based technique. The effects of CNT content on the SLS processability of nanocomposite powders and the mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties of SLS-printed specimens were investigated. It was found that the CNT improved the electrical conductivity and strain sensing performance of the printed parts, but excessively high CNT content led to high melt viscosity, deteriorated sintering behavior, and hence degraded mechanical properties. The 2.0 wt% CNT/TPU nanocomposite fabricated by SLS exhibited enhanced electrical conductivity (seven orders of magnitude higher than the neat TPU), high piezoresistive sensitivity (gauge factor of 60 at a tensile strain of 20%), and a wide sensing range (0‒130% strain). A mathematical model based on the tunneling theory was established to describe and predict the strain sensing performance of the printed nanocomposites. This study provides profound insights into the development of multi-functional nanocomposites by SLS for their applications in flexible strain sensors. Published version 2023-01-03T01:53:58Z 2023-01-03T01:53:58Z 2022 Journal Article Zhou, M., Zhu, W., Yu, S., Tian, Y. & Zhou, K. (2022). Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties. Composites Part C: Open Access, 7, 100212-. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomc.2021.100212 2666-6820 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/164020 10.1016/j.jcomc.2021.100212 2-s2.0-85121323381 7 100212 en Composites Part C: Open Access © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Engineering::Mechanical engineering
Carbon Nanotubes
Electro-Mechanical Behavior
spellingShingle Engineering::Mechanical engineering
Carbon Nanotubes
Electro-Mechanical Behavior
Zhou, Meixin
Zhu, Wei
Yu, Suzhu
Tian, Yujia
Zhou, Kun
Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties
description Flexible and electrically conductive carbon nanotube/thermoplastic polyurethane (CNT/TPU) nanocomposites have been herein fabricated by selective laser sintering (SLS) for the applications of wearable electronics and strain sensors. CNT/TPU nanocomposite powders were systematically developed by a latex-based technique. The effects of CNT content on the SLS processability of nanocomposite powders and the mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties of SLS-printed specimens were investigated. It was found that the CNT improved the electrical conductivity and strain sensing performance of the printed parts, but excessively high CNT content led to high melt viscosity, deteriorated sintering behavior, and hence degraded mechanical properties. The 2.0 wt% CNT/TPU nanocomposite fabricated by SLS exhibited enhanced electrical conductivity (seven orders of magnitude higher than the neat TPU), high piezoresistive sensitivity (gauge factor of 60 at a tensile strain of 20%), and a wide sensing range (0‒130% strain). A mathematical model based on the tunneling theory was established to describe and predict the strain sensing performance of the printed nanocomposites. This study provides profound insights into the development of multi-functional nanocomposites by SLS for their applications in flexible strain sensors.
author2 School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
author_facet School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Zhou, Meixin
Zhu, Wei
Yu, Suzhu
Tian, Yujia
Zhou, Kun
format Article
author Zhou, Meixin
Zhu, Wei
Yu, Suzhu
Tian, Yujia
Zhou, Kun
author_sort Zhou, Meixin
title Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties
title_short Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties
title_full Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties
title_fullStr Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties
title_full_unstemmed Selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties
title_sort selective laser sintering of carbon nanotube–coated thermoplastic polyurethane: mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistive properties
publishDate 2023
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/164020
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