Zhang Junshu, Gao Ke, Weng Shun, Zhu Hongping
School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
National Center of Technology Innovation for Digital Construction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Sensors (Basel). 2024 Apr 30;24(9):2856. doi: 10.3390/s24092856.
In engineering measurements, metal foil strain gauges suffer from a limited range and low sensitivity, necessitating the development of flexible sensors to fill the gap. This paper presents a flexible, high-performance piezoresistive sensor using a composite consisting of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The proposed sensor demonstrated a significantly wider range (97%) and higher gauge factor (GF) (6.3), effectively addressing the shortcomings of traditional strain gauges. The microstructure of the GNPs/PDMS composite was observed using a scanning electron microscope, and the distribution of the conductive network was analyzed. The mechanical behavior of the sensor encapsulation was analyzed, leading to the determination of the mechanisms influencing encapsulation. Experiments based on a standard equal-strength beam were conducted to investigate the influence of the base and coating dimensions of the sensor. The results indicated that reducing the base thickness and increasing the coating length both contributed to the enhancement of the sensor's performance. These findings provide valuable guidance for future development and design of flexible sensors.
在工程测量中，金属箔应变片存在量程有限和灵敏度低的问题，因此需要开发柔性传感器来填补这一空白。本文提出了一种使用由石墨烯纳米片（GNPs）和聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）组成的复合材料制成的柔性、高性能压阻式传感器。所提出的传感器展示出显著更宽的量程（97%）和更高的应变片系数（GF）（6.3），有效解决了传统应变片的缺点。使用扫描电子显微镜观察了GNPs/PDMS复合材料的微观结构，并分析了导电网络的分布。分析了传感器封装的力学行为，从而确定了影响封装的机制。基于标准等强度梁进行了实验，以研究传感器基底和涂层尺寸的影响。结果表明，减小基底厚度和增加涂层长度均有助于提高传感器的性能。这些发现为柔性传感器的未来发展和设计提供了有价值的指导。
