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US 10,378,876 B2Granted
Piezoresistive strain sensors comprising electrically conducting networks in polymeric phase change materials
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsShaoqin Gong, Zhenqiang Ma, Yunming Wang, Hongyi Mi
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Abstract
Piezoresistive composite materials comprising electrically conductive particles in a polymeric phase change material are provided. Also provided are strain sensors incorporating the composites and methods for detecting mechanical strain using the composites.
Claims23
A strain sensor comprising:
- a composite comprising crosslinked polyether polyol and electrically conductive particles dispersed in the crosslinked polyether polyol, wherein the crosslinked polyether polyol is crosslinked by branched, urethane group-containing linkages or by branched, ether group-containing linkages;
- and
- a probe configured to measure a strain-induced change in the electrical conductance of the composite.
A sensor comprising:
- a composite comprising crosslinked polytetrahydrofuran and electrically conductive particles dispersed in the crosslinked polytetrahydrofuran;
- and
- a probe configured to measure a strain-induced change in the electrical conductance of the composite.
A method of sensing a strain, the method comprising:
- exposing a composite to a strain, the composite comprising crosslinked polyether polyol and electrically conductive particles dispersed in the crosslinked polyether polyol, wherein the crosslinked polyether polyol is crosslinked by branched, urethane group-containing linkages or by branched, ether group-containing linkages;
- and
- measuring a strain-induced decrease in the electrical conductance of the composite.
A method of sensing a strain, the method comprising:
- exposing a composite to a strain, the composite comprising crosslinked polyether polyol and electrically conductive particles dispersed in the crosslinked polyether polyol, wherein the strain induces the formation of microcrystalline domains in the crosslinked polyether polyol.
A composite comprising:
- polytetrahydrofuran crosslinked with triphenymethane triisocyanate, the crosslinked polytetrahydrofuran having the structure:
- where n and m represent the number of repeat units in the polytetrahydrofuran chain and the crosslinked polytetrahydrofuran, respectively;
- and
- electrically conductive particles dispersed in the crosslinked polytetrahydrofuran.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.