New insight into natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites as pressure sensors: Experiment, theory, and application

Citation:

Costa CC, Mapa LM, Kelmer AC, Ferreira SO, Bianchi RF. New insight into natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites as pressure sensors: Experiment, theory, and application. Polymer Composites [Internet]. Submitted;n/a (n/a).

Abstract:

Abstract Research in hybrid and flexible natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites has included advances in innovative and environmentally sustainable devices. However, in practice, controversies still exist regarding the relationship between electrical and materials performance targets in a system design context. This work aimed to investigate the alternating conductivity of a novel pressure sensor based on semiconducting polyaniline (PANI)-coated vegetable fiber (VF, Euterpe oleracea Mart., Acai) in silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rubber. We used alternating electrical conductivity measurements, σ*(ω) ∝ ωs (frequency range—ω from 1 Hz to 10 MHz; s   0.6), to adjust the optimal operating frequency region to enhance the pressure sensing performance of the PDMS-PANI-VF composites. A generalized effective-medium approach to the pressure-induced conductivity in terms of loading pressure, percolation regime, and the interpolation between Bruggeman's symmetric and asymmetric media theories was obtained. We have found a solution for inducing percolation in composites with a low concentration of fiber inclusions by uniaxial pressure (P), characterized by the expression σ ∝ (P−P0)t (0 ≤ t ≤ 4.0, 0 ≤ P0 ≤ 250 kPa). The sensor demonstrates maximum sensitivity of 1.5 Pa−1 in the operating electrical frequency from 1 to 100 Hz, and a wide linearity range from 0 to 250 kPa. The result provides new insight into the AC universality, s, and t behaviors of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites to enhance pressure sensitivity of a new concept and technology for resource-efficiency optimization of sustainable environmental devices.

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