Textile strain sensors: a review of the fabrication technologies, performance evaluation and applications

Strain sensors that are made of textiles offer wearability and large strain sensing range. Recent exciting developments in material, structure, fabrication, performance, and application of textile strain sensors are evaluated and guidelines are provided to overcome the current challenges.

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Cyclic piezoresistive effect in poly(dimethylsiloxane)/carbon nanofiber composites for large strain Sensing applications

Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures ◽

10.1177/1045389x19828476 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (7) ◽

pp. 1010-1017

Author(s):

M Lu ◽

MH Chen ◽

ZX Bu ◽

LS Wang ◽

L Sun

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nanomaterials ◽

Carbon Nanofiber ◽

Large Strain ◽

Temperature Stability ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Strain Sensing ◽

One Dimensional ◽

Sensing Applications ◽

Different Temperatures ◽

Carbon Nanofiller

Adding conductive one-dimensional carbon nanomaterials to poly(dimethysiloxane) can form bio-compatible composites with significant electromechanical (piezoresistive) response. This effect can be effectively tuned by controlling the carbon nanofiller size, concentration, and distribution. However, to be applied as strain sensors, the composite material has to meet mechanical, sensitivity, temperature stability, and reliability requirements. Here we report on the study of cyclic electromechanical behaviors of poly(dimethysiloxane)/carbon nanofiber composites under different temperatures. Through mechanical training, reproducible and sensitive piezoresistive response suitable for large strain sensing can be obtained.

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Nacre-inspired highly stretchable piezoresistive Cu–Ag nanowire/graphene synergistic conductive networks for strain sensors and beyond

Journal of Materials Chemistry C ◽

10.1039/c9tc00943d ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (23) ◽

pp. 7061-7072 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xiangying Meng ◽

Songfang Zhao ◽

Zhe Zhang ◽

Ruliang Zhang ◽

Jinhui Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Sensitivity ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Strain Sensing ◽

Geometric Structures ◽

Sensing Range ◽

Highly Stretchable ◽

Ag Nanowire

Recently, it has become highly desirable but remains a challenge to design strain-sensing materials with rational geometric structures that endow the strain sensors high sensitivity, large stretchability and a broad sensing range simultaneously.

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Dynamic Nanohybrid-Polysaccharide Hydrogels for Soft Wearable Strain Sensing

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21113574 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 3574

Author(s):

Pejman Heidarian ◽

Hossein Yousefi ◽

Akif Kaynak ◽

Mariana Paulino ◽

Saleh Gharaie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Strength ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Self Healing ◽

Nano Materials ◽

Strain Sensing ◽

Ferric Ions ◽

Research Activity ◽

Adhesion Properties ◽

High Mechanical Strength ◽

The Moment

Electroconductive hydrogels with stimuli-free self-healing and self-recovery (SELF) properties and high mechanical strength for wearable strain sensors is an area of intensive research activity at the moment. Most electroconductive hydrogels, however, consist of static bonds for mechanical strength and dynamic bonds for SELF performance, presenting a challenge to improve both properties into one single hydrogel. An alternative strategy to successfully incorporate both properties into one system is via the use of stiff or rigid, yet dynamic nano-materials. In this work, a nano-hybrid modifier derived from nano-chitin coated with ferric ions and tannic acid (TA/Fe@ChNFs) is blended into a starch/polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid (St/PVA/PAA) hydrogel. It is hypothesized that the TA/Fe@ChNFs nanohybrid imparts both mechanical strength and stimuli-free SELF properties to the hydrogel via dynamic catecholato-metal coordination bonds. Additionally, the catechol groups of TA provide mussel-inspired adhesion properties to the hydrogel. Due to its electroconductivity, toughness, stimuli-free SELF properties, and self-adhesiveness, a prototype soft wearable strain sensor is created using this hydrogel and subsequently tested.

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A Review: Carbon Nanotube-Based Piezoresistive Strain Sensors

Journal of Sensors ◽

10.1155/2012/652438 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 152

Author(s):

Waris Obitayo ◽

Tao Liu

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nanotubes ◽

Carbon Nanotube ◽

Composite Films ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Voltage Response ◽

Strain Sensing ◽

Multiwalled Carbon ◽

Sensing Applications ◽

Mechanical Deformations ◽

Electrical Resistivities

The use of carbon nanotubes for piezoresistive strain sensors has acquired significant attention due to its unique electromechanical properties. In this comprehensive review paper, we discussed some important aspects of carbon nanotubes for strain sensing at both the nanoscale and macroscale. Carbon nanotubes undergo changes in their band structures when subjected to mechanical deformations. This phenomenon makes them applicable for strain sensing applications. This paper signifies the type of carbon nanotubes best suitable for piezoresistive strain sensors. The electrical resistivities of carbon nanotube thin film increase linearly with strain, making it an ideal material for a piezoresistive strain sensor. Carbon nanotube composite films, which are usually fabricated by mixing small amounts of single-walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes with selected polymers, have shown promising characteristics of piezoresistive strain sensors. Studies also show that carbon nanotubes display a stable and predictable voltage response as a function of temperature.

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Self-monitoring Properties of Concrete Columns with Embedded Cement-based Strain Sensors

Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures ◽

10.1177/1045389x10396573 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 191-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Huigang Xiao ◽

Hui Li ◽

Jinping Ou

Keyword(s):

Cyclic Load ◽

Failure Modes ◽

Concrete Structures ◽

Concrete Columns ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Strain Sensing ◽

Self Monitoring ◽

Good Strain ◽

Displacement Transducers ◽

Monotonic Load

Cement-based strain sensors (CBCC sensor) were fabricated by taking the advantage of piezoresistivity of CB-filled CBCC. CBCC sensors were centrally embedded into concrete columns (made with C40 and C80 concretes, respectively) to monitor the strain of the columns under cyclic load and monotonic load by measuring the resistance of CBCC sensors. The comparison between the monitored results of CBCC sensors and that of traditional displacement transducers indicates that CBCC sensors have good strain-sensing abilities. Meanwhile, CBCC sensors exhibit different failure modes that break later than C40 concrete columns, but a little earlier than C80 concrete columns. Therefore, the strength-matching principle between embedded CBCC sensors and concrete columns is proposed in this article to guarantee the sensing capacity of CBCC sensors in various concrete structures. The analytical results agree well with the experimental phenomena.

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Corrugated Photoactive Thin Films for Flexible Strain Sensor

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma11101970 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 1970 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Donghyeon Ryu ◽

Alfred Mongare

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Electrical Properties ◽

Tensile Strain ◽

Strain Sensor ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Optical And Electrical Properties ◽

Strain Sensing ◽

Dc Voltage ◽

Flexible Strain Sensor

In this study, a flexible strain sensor is devised using corrugated bilayer thin films consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrene(sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). In previous studies, the P3HT-based photoactive non-corrugated thin film was shown to generate direct current (DC) under broadband light, and the generated DC voltage varied with applied tensile strain. Yet, the mechanical resiliency and strain sensing range of the P3HT-based thin film strain sensor were limited due to brittle non-corrugated thin film constituents. To address this issue, it is aimed to design a mechanically resilient strain sensor using corrugated thin film constituents. Buckling is induced to form corrugation in the thin films by applying pre-strain to the substrate, where the thin films are deposited, and releasing the pre-strain afterwards. It is known that corrugated thin film constituents exhibit different optical and electronic properties from non-corrugated ones. Therefore, to design the flexible strain sensor, it was studied to understand how the applied pre-strain and thickness of the PEDOT:PSS conductive thin film affects the optical and electrical properties. In addition, strain effect was investigated on the optical and electrical properties of the corrugated thin film constituents. Finally, flexible strain sensors are fabricated by following the design guideline, which is suggested from the studies on the corrugated thin film constituents, and the DC voltage strain sensing capability of the flexible strain sensors was validated. As a result, the flexible strain sensor exhibited a tensile strain sensing range up to 5% at a frequency up to 15 Hz with a maximum gauge factor ~7.

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Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors based on carbon nanotube–elastomer nanocomposites: the effect of environmental factors on strain sensing performance

Journal of Materials Chemistry C ◽

10.1039/d0tc00373e ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (18) ◽

pp. 6185-6195 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mohammad Nankali ◽

Norouz Mohammad Nouri ◽

Mahdi Navidbakhsh ◽

Nima Geran Malek ◽

Mohammad Amin Amindehghan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nanotube ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Sensitive Strain ◽

Effect Of Temperature ◽

Strain Sensing ◽

Highly Stretchable ◽

The Impact ◽

Sensing Performance

The impact of environmental parameters on the sensing behavior of carbon nanotube–elastomer nanocomposite strain sensors has been investigated, revealing significant effect of temperature and humidity variations on the sensing performance.

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