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AssigneeThe University of Akron
InventorsGeorge G. Chase, Alexander Yarin
Estimating the term…
The present invention generally relates to methods to provide electrospun polymer/nanoparticle composite-fiber structures for use as lightweight, compliant, porous strain sensors for non-cyclic strain sensing. In one embodiment, the fibers in the nanocomposites comprise, for example, poly(∈-caprolactone) (PCL) dielectric polymer matrix with embedded electrically conductive carbon black (CB) nanoparticles. In another embodiment, the composite-fiber structures of the present invention contain at least about 7 weight percent or more of CB and are electrically conducting in the as-spun, un-deformed state, and are thus called conductive polymer composites (CPC). In still another embodiment, the electrical resistance of a nanocomposite structure according to the invention increases with strain, and at sufficiently high strains the structure is rendered non-conductive.
A strain sensor comprising:
The strain-sensor of claim 4, wherein the at least one conductive electrospun fiber portion contains about 5 to about 15 weight percent of carbon black.
A strain-sensor comprising:
A method for determining variations in localized flow rates, pressure gradients, and/or particle loading in a filter medium, the method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.