Cyclic Behavior of Electrical Resistance Type Low Stiffness, Large Strain Sensor by Using Carbon Nanofiber/Flexible Epoxy Composite

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) has good electrical conductivity. Addition of a few percentages of carbon nanofiber to polymer yields electrical conductivity but hardly affects the mechanical properties of polymer. This conductive polymer may be useful for sensing applications such as strain sensors and chem-resist sensors. Many researchers have reported on the electrical conductivity, but the electrical resistance change under strain of the carbon nanofiller composites is not fully investigated. In this study, the electrical resistance change under strain of CNF/flexible-epoxy composites was investigated experimentally. More than 100% of quasi-static strain can be measured by using CNF/flexible-epoxy composite with Young’s modulus of less than 1MPa. Cyclic and unloading behaviors were also measured and discussed. It was found that the cyclic behavior was strongly affected by viscoelasticity and damage.