Oliver K. Johnson1, Calvin J. Gardner1, David T. Fullwood1, Brent L.Adams1, Nathan Hansen2, George Hansen2
CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 87-112, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.015.087
Abstract A novel nickel nanostrand-silicone composite material at an optimized 15 vol% filler concentration demonstrates a dramatic piezoresistive effect with a negative gauge factor (ratio of percent change in resistivity to strain). The composite volume resistivity decreases in excess of three orders of magnitude at a 60% strain. The piezoresistivity does decrease slightly as a function of cycles, but not significantly as a function of time. The material's resistivity is also temperature dependent, once again with a negative dependence.
The evidence indicates that nickel strands are physically separated by matrix material even at high volume fractions, and More >