Piezoresistive Response Extraction for Smart Cement-based Composites/Sensors

A kind of piezoresistive response extraction method for smart cement-based composites/sensors was proposed.Two kinds of typical piezoresistive cement-based composites/sensors were fabricated by respectively adding carbon nanotubes and nickel powders as conductive fillers into cement paste or cement mortar.The variation in measured electrical resistance of such cement-based composites/sensors was explored without loading and under repeated compressive loading and impulsive loading.The experimental results indicate that the measured electrical resistance of piezoresistive cement-based composites/sensors exhibits a two-stage variation trend of fast increase and steady increase with measurement time without loading,and an irreversible increase after loading.This results from polarization caused by ionic conduction in these composites/sensors.After reaching a plateau,the measured electrical resistance can be divided into an electrical resistance part and an electrical capacity part.The piezoresistive responses of electrical resistance part in measured electrical resistance to loading can be extracted by eliminating the linear electrical capacity part in measured electrical resistance.

Effects of Strain Rate and Fiber Content on the Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Sisal Fiber Cement-Based Composites

In this paper,a split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB)was used to investigate the dynamic impact mechanical behavior of sisal fiber-reinforced cement-based composites(SFRCCs),and the microscopic damage evolution of the composites was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrome-try(EDS).The results show that the addition of sisal fibers improves the impact resistance of cement-based composite materials.Compared with ordinary cement-based composites(OCCs),the SFRCCs demonstrate higher post-peak strength,ductility,and energy absorption capacity with higher fiber content.Moreover,the SFRCCs are strain rate sensitive materials,and their peak stress,ultimate strain,and energy integrals all increase with increasing strain rate.From the perspective of fracture failure characteristics,the failure of OCCs is dominated by the brittle failure of crystal cleavage.In contrast,the failure mode of the SFRCCs changes to microscale matrix cracks,multi-scale pull-out interface debonding of fibers(fine filaments and bundles),and mechanical interlock.This research provides an experimental basis for the engineering application of high-performance and green cement-based composites.

Wearable and stretchable conductive polymer composites for strain sensors:How to design a superior one?

Wearable and stretchable strain sensors have potential values in the fields of human motion and health monitoring,flexible electronics,and soft robotic skin.The wearable and stretchable strain sensors can be directly attached to human skin,providing visualized detection for human motions and personal healthcare.Conductive polymer composites(CPC)composed of conductive fillers and flexible polymers have the advantages of high stretchability,good flexibility,superior durability,which can be used to prepare flexible strain sensors with large working strain and outstanding sensitivity.This review has put forward a comprehensive summary on the fabrication methods,advanced mechanisms and strain sensing abilities of CPC strain sensors reported in recent years,especially the sensors with superior performance.Finally,the structural design,bionic function,integration technology and further application of CPC strain sensors are prospected.

Parametric study on contact sensors for MASW measurement-based interfacial debonding detection for SCCS

Steel-concrete composite structures(SCCS)have been widely used as primary load-bearing components in large-scale civil infrastructures.As the basis of the co-working ability of steel plate and concrete,the bonding status plays an essential role in guaranteeing the structural performance of SCCS.Accordingly,efficient non-destructive testing(NDT)on interfacial debondings in SCCS has become a prominent research area.Multi-channel analysis of surface waves(MASW)has been validated as an effective NDT technique for interfacial debonding detection for SCCS.However,the feasibility of MASW must be validated using experimental measurements.This study establishes a high-frequency data synchronous acquisition system with 32 channels to perform comparative verification experiments in depth.First,the current sensing approaches for high-frequency vibration and stress waves are summarized.Secondly,three types of contact sensors,namely,piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate(PZT)patches,accelerometers,and ultrasonic transducers,are selected for MASW measurement.Then,the selection and optimization of the force hammer head are performed.Comparative experiments are carried out for the optimal selection of ultrasonic transducers,PZT patches,and accelerometers for MASW measurement.In addition,the influence of different pasting methods on the output signal of the sensor array is discussed.Experimental results indicate that optimized PZT patches,acceleration sensors,and ultrasonic transducers can provide efficient data acquisition for MASW-based non-destructive experiments.The research findings in this study lay a solid foundation for analyzing the recognition accuracy of contact MASW measurement using different sensor arrays.

Piezoresistivity of Carbon Fiber Graphite Cement-based Composites with CCCW

The electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity of carbon fiber graphite cement-matrix composites（CFGCC） with carbon fiber content（1% by the weight of cement）,graphite powder contents （0%-50% by the weight of cement） and CCCW（cementitious capillary crystalline waterproofing materials,4% by the weight of cement） were studied.The experimental results showed that the relationship between the resistivity of CFGCC and the concentration of graphite powders had typical features of percolation phenomena.The percolation threshold was about 20%.A clear piezoresistive effect was observed in CFGCC with 1wt% of carbon fibers,20wt% or 30wt% of graphite powders under uniaxial compressive tests,indicating that this type of smart composites was a promising candidate for strain sensing.The measured gage factor （defined as the fractional change in resistance per unit strain） of CFGCC with graphite content of 20wt% and 30wt% were 37 and 22,respectively.With the addition of CCCW,the mechanical properties of CFGCC were improved,which benefited CFGCC piezoresistivity of stability.

Modeling and Software Development of the Interfacial Transition Zone of Ellipsoidal Aggregate in Cement-Based Composites

The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the aggregates and the bulk paste is the weakest zone of ordinary concrete, which largely determines its mechanical and transporting properties. However, a complete understanding and a quantitative modeling of ITZ are still lacking. Consequently, an integrated modeling and experimental study were conducted. First, the theoretical calculation model of the ITZ volume fraction about the rotary ellipsoidal aggregate particles was established based on the nearest surface function formula. Its calculation programs were written based on Visual Basic 6.0 language and achieved visualization and functionalization. Then, the influencing factors of ITZ volume fraction of the ellipsoidal aggregate particles and the overlapping degree between the ITZ were systematically analyzed. Finally, the calculation models of ITZ volume fraction on actual ellipsoidal aggregate were given, based on cobblestones or pebbles particles with naturally ellipsoidal shape. The results indicate that the calculation model proposed is highly reliable.

Electrical and Piezoresistive Properties of Steel Fiber Cement-based Composites Aligned by a Magnetic Field

Directionally distributed steel fiber cement-based composites(SFCCs)were prepared by magnetic field(MF)induction technology.The orientation factor of steel fibers in the as-obtained SFCCs was determined.Besides,the electrical resistivity and piezoresistive responses in two directions of aligned steel fiber cement-based composites,i e,parallel and perpendicular to MF,were measured.The effects of several variables,eg,steel fiber content,curing age,humidity,and temperature,on anisotropic electrical property were studied.The cyclic and failure piezoresistive responses in different directions were tested.It is found that the aligned steel fibers in the as-obtained SFCCs have a high orientation factor more than 0.88.Besides,SFCCs with aligned steel fibers exhibit an obvious anisotropic conductivity and piezoelectric sensitivity.The electrical conductivity of SFCCs with aligned steel fibers is less affected by temperature and humidity.At the steel fiber content of 2.5wt%,the piezoelectric sensitivity coefficient of SFCCs in the direction parallel to MF has the highest value of 324.14.In addition,the piezoresistive properties of SFCCs with aligned steel fibers in the direction parallel to MF indicate excellent sensitivity and stability under cyclic loading and monotonic loading.

DETERMINATION OF INTERNAL STRAIN IN 3-D BRAIDED COMPOSITES USING OPTIC FIBER STRAIN SENSORS

A reliable understanding of the properties of 3-D braided composites is of primary importance for proper utilization of these materials. A new method is introduced to study the mechanical performance of braided composite materials using embedded optic fiber sensors. Experimental research is performed to devise a method of incorporating optic fibers into a 3-D braided composite structure. The efficacy of this new testing method is evaluated on two counts. First, the optical performance of optic fibers is studied before and after incorporated into 3-D braided composites, as well as after completion of the manufacturing process for 3-D braided composites, to validate the ability of the optic fiber to survive the manufacturing process. On the other hand, the influence of incorporated optic fiber on the original braided composite is also researched by tension and compression experiments. Second, two kinds of optic fiber sensors are co-embedded into 3-D braided composites to evaluate their respective ability to measure the internal strain. Experimental results show that multiple optic fiber sensors can be co-braided into 3-D braided composites to determine their internal strain which is difficult to be fulfilled by other current existing methods.

Model of Coherent Interface Formation in Cement-Based Composites Containing Polyblend of Poly vinyl Alcohol and Methylcellulose

The texture of interfacial zone between cement paste and quartz in the cement-based composites containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), methylcellulose (MC) and their potyblend in an amount of 10 wt % with respect to cement, as well as the texture of dehydrated bodies of PVA, MC, and the potyblend solutions, were investigated with SEM. The network texture of the dehydrated polyblend is confirmed by comparing the texture of dehydrated bodies of PVA and MC. The network texture has restrained the movement of polyblend molecules in the cement mortar but is helpful to forming a coherent interface between cement paste and quartz. The key factor of forming the coherent interface is not the neutralization reaction between H + from hydrolysis of quarts: and OH- from hydration of cement, but the electrostatic attraction and the chemical reaction between polar groups on the polyblend molecule and cations and onions from hydrolysis of quartz and hydration of cement, respectively. The model of the coherent interface formation is that excessive [HSiO3]- and [SiO3]2- onions are bonded with the hydrated cations such as Ca2+ and Al3+ , which is confirmed by the gel containing Ca and Si on the quartz surface.

Study on Modification of Waste Rubber Powder in Cement-Based Composites Mixed with Waste Rubber Powder

In view of the disadvantage that the mechanical properties of cement-based composites can be significantly reduced by incorporating waste rubber powder in situ, the surface modification methods of the original rubber powder by coupling agent KH560, sodium hydroxide, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), methyl hydroxyethyl cellulose ether (MHEC) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursors were adopted respectively. The modification of waste rubber powder was studied by Change rate of mortar strength of cement-based composite mortar mixed with waste rubber powder. The results show that the hybrid modification method using tetraethyl orthosilicate as precursor has better ef-fect. When 5 phr ethyl orthosilicate is added, the compressive strength and flexural strength of cement-based composite mortar can be increased by 31.7% and 28%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that the surface of waste rubber powder with good modification effect has many pro-trusions and flake-like porous structures which are beneficial to its bonding with cement-based materials.

Field-assisted tunneling enabled pressure-sensitive composites/sensors for smart concrete structures

Spiky spherical nickel powder with sharp nano-tips on its surface is a kind of excellent fillers for developing pressure-sensitive cement-based composites/sensors for traffic detection,structural health monitoring,and border and military security.The sharp nano-tips on the surface of spiky spherical nickel particles can induce field emission and tunneling effects,which leads to the ultrahigh pressure-sensitive responses of the cement-based composites.In this paper,we systematically introduce research on nanotip-induced ultrahigh pressure-sensitive cement-based composites/sensors,with attentions to their pressure-sensitive property and sensing mechanism,pressure-sensitive characteristic model,and smart structure system for traffic detection.

Smart Behavior of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cement-based Composite

The electrical characteristics of cement-based material can be remarkably improved by the addition of short carbon fibers. Carbon fiber reinforced cement composite (CFRC) is an intrinsically smart material that can sense not only the stress and strain, but also the temperature. In this paper, variations of electrical resistivity with external applied load, and relation of thermoelectric force and temperature were investigated. Test results indicated that the electrical signal is related to the increase in the material volume resistivity during crack generation or propagation and the decrease in the resistivity during crack closure. Moreover, it was found that the fiber addition increased the linearity and reversibility of the Seebeck effect in the cement-based materials. The change of electrical characteristics reflects large amount of information of inner damage and temperature differential of composite, which can be used for stress-strain or thermal self-monitoring by embedding it in the concrete structures.

High-Performance and Multifunctional Cement-Based Composite Material

Concrete is a continuously evolving material, and even the definition of high-performance concrete has changed over time. In this paper, high-performance characteristics of concrete material are considered to be those that support the desirable durability, resilience, and sustainability of civil infrastructure that directly impact our quality of life. It is proposed that high-performance material characteristics include tensile ductility, autogenous crack-width control, and material “greenness.” Furthermore, smart functionalities should be aimed at enhancing infrastructure durability, resilience, and sustainability by responding to changes in the surrounding environment of the structure in order to perform desirable functions, thus causing the material to behave in a manner more akin to certain biological materials. Based on recent advances in engineered cementitious composites (ECCs), this paper suggests that concrete embodying such high-performance characteristics and smart multifunctionalities can be designed, and holds the potential to fulfill the expected civil infrastructure needs of the 21st century. Highlights of relevant properties of ECCs are provided, and directions for necessary future research are indicated.

Non-destructive Evaluation of Composite Pressure Vessel by Using FBG Sensors

In recent years, advanced composite structures are used extensively in many industries such as aerospace, aircraft, automobile, pipeline and civil engineering. Reliability and safety are crucial requirements posed by them to the advanced composite structures be- cause of their harsh working conditions. Therefore, as a very important measure, structural health monitoring （SHM） in-service is deft- nitely demanded for ensuring their safe working in-situ. In this paper, fiber Bragg grating （FBG） sensors are surface-mounted on the hoop and in the axial directions of a FRP pressure vessel to monitor the strain status during its pressurization. The experimental results show that the FBG sensors could be used to monitor the strain development and determine the ultimate failure strain of the composite pressure vessel.

Orange dye polyaniline composite based impedance humidity sensors

This study presents the fabrication and investigation （PANI） composite films. A blend of 3 wt.% OD with 1 of humidity sensors based on orange dye （OD） and polyaniline wt.% PANI was prepared in 1 ml water. The composite films were deposited on glass substrates between pre-deposited silver electrodes. The gap between the electrodes was 45 um. The sensing mechanism was based on the impedance and capacitance variations due to the absorption/desorption of water vapor. It was observed that with the increase in relative humidity （RH） from 30% to 90%, the impedance decreases by 5.2 × 10^4 and 8.8 × 10^3 times for the frequencies of 120 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. The impedance-humidity relationship showed a more uniform change compared to the capacitance-humidity relationship in the RH range of 30% to 90%. The consequence of annealing, measuring frequency, response and recovery time, and absorption-desorption behavior of the humidity sensor were also discussed in detail. The annealing resulted in an increase in sensitivity of up to 2.5 times, while the measured response time and recovery time were 34 s and 450 s, respectively. The impedance-humidity relationship was simulated.

Disbond detection with piezoelectric wafer active sensors in RC structures strengthened with FRP composite overlays

The capability of embedded piezoelectric wafer active sensors(PWAS)to perform in-situ nondestructive evaluation(NDE)for structural health monitoring(SHM)of reinforced concrete(RC)structures strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer(FRP)composite overlays is explored.First,the disbond detection method were developed on coupon specimens consisting of concrete blocks covered with an FRP composite layer.It was found that the presence of a disbond crack drastically changes the electromecfianical(E/M)impedance spectrum lneasurcd at the PWAS terlninals.The spectral changes depend on the distance between the PWAS and the crack tip.Second,large scale experiments were conducted on a RC beam strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP)composite overlay.The beam was subject to an accelerated fatigue load regime in a three-point bending configuration up to a total of 807,415 cycles.During these fatigue tests,the CFRP overlay experienced disbonding beginning at about 500,000 cycles.The PWAS were able to detect the disbonding before it could be reliably seen by visual inspection.Good correlation between the PWAS readings and the position and extent of disbond damage was observed.These preliminary results demonstrate the potential of PWAS technology for SHM of RC structures strengthened with FRP composite overlays.

Piezoresistive behavior of elastomer composites with segregated network of carbon nanostructures and alumina

Electrically conductive elastomer composites(CECs)with segregated networks of conductive nanofillers show high potential in stretchable strain sensors due to balanced mechanical and electrical properties,yet the sensitivity at low strain is generally insufficient for practical application.Herein,we report an easy and effective way to improve the resistive response to low strain for CECs with segregated network structure via adding stiff alumina into carbon nanostructures(CNS).The CEC containing 0.7 wt%CNS and 5 wt%Al_(2)O_(3) almost sustains the same elasticity(elongation at break of~900%)and conductivity(0.8 S/m)as the control,while the piezoresistive sensitivity is significantly improved.Thermoplastic polyurethane(TPU)composites with a segregated network of hybrid nanofillers(CNS and Al_(2)O_(3))show much higher strain sensitivity(Gauge factor,GF-566)at low strain(45%strain)due to a local stress concentration effect,this sensitivity is superior to that of TPU/CNS composites(GF-11).Such a local stress concentration effect depends on alumina content and its distribution at the TPU particle interface.In addition,CECs with hybrid fillers show better reproducibility in cyclic piezoresistive behavior testing than the control.This work offers an easy method for fabricating CECs with a segregated filler network offering stretchable strain sensors with a high strain sensitivity.

Multi-scale Modeling of the Effective Chloride Ion Diffusion Coefficient in Cement-based Composite Materials

N-layered spherical inclusions model was used to calculate the effective diffusion coefficient of chloride ion in cement-based materials by using multi-scale method and then to investigate the relationship between the diffusivity and the microstructure of cement-basted materials where the microstructure included the interfacial transition zone （ITZ） between the aggregates and the bulk cement pastes as well as the microstructure of the bulk cement paste itself. For the convenience of applications, the mortar and concrete were considered as a four-phase spherical model, consisting of cement continuous phase, dispersed aggregates phase, interface transition zone and their homogenized effective medium phase. A general effective medium equation was established to calculate the diffusion coefficient of the hardened cement paste by considering the microstructure. During calculation, the tortuosity （n） and constrictivity factors （Ds/Do） of pore in the hardened pastes are n^3.2, Ds/Do=l.Ox 10-4 respectively from the test data. The calculated results using the n-layered spherical inclusions model are in good agreement with the experimental results; The effective diffusion coefficient of ITZ is 12 times that of the bulk cement for mortar and 17 times for concrete due to the difference between particle size distribution and the volume fraction of aggregates in mortar and concrete.

Dynamic Compression Behavior of Ultra-high Performance Cement-based Composite with Hybrid Steel Fiber Reinforcements

Ultra-high performance cement-based composites (UHPCC) is promising in construction of concrete structures that suffer impact and explosive loads.In this study,a reference UHPCC mixture with no fiber reinforcement and four mixtures with a single type of fiber reinforcement or hybrid fiber reinforcements of straight smooth and end hook type of steel fibers were prepared.Split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was performed to investigate the dynamic compression behavior of UHPCC and X-CT test and 3D reconstruction technology were used to indicate the failure process of UHPCC under impact loading.Results show that UHPCC with 1% straight smooth fiber and 2% end hook fiber reinforcements demonstrated the best static and dynamic mechanical properties.When the hybrid steel fiber reinforcements are added in the concrete,it may need more impact energy to break the matrix and to pull out the fiber reinforcements,thus,the mixture with hybrid steel fiber reinforcements demonstrates excellent dynamic compressive performance.

Laser‑Induced and MOF‑Derived Metal Oxide/Carbon Composite for Synergistically Improved Ethanol Sensing at Room temperature

Advancements in sensor technology have significantly enhanced atmospheric monitoring.Notably,metal oxide and carbon(MO_(x)/C)hybrids have gained attention for their exceptional sensitivity and room-temperature sensing performance.However,previous methods of synthesizing MO_(x)/C composites suffer from problems,including inhomogeneity,aggregation,and challenges in micropatterning.Herein,we introduce a refined method that employs a metal–organic framework(MOF)as a precursor combined with direct laser writing.The inherent structure of MOFs ensures a uniform distribution of metal ions and organic linkers,yielding homogeneous MO_(x)/C structures.The laser processing facilitates precise micropatterning(<2μm,comparable to typical photolithography)of the MO_(x)/C crystals.The optimized MOF-derived MO_(x)/C sensor rapidly detected ethanol gas even at room temperature(105 and 18 s for response and recovery,respectively),with a broad range of sensing performance from 170 to 3,400 ppm and a high response value of up to 3,500%.Additionally,this sensor exhibited enhanced stability and thermal resilience compared to previous MOF-based counterparts.This research opens up promising avenues for practical applications in MOF-derived sensing devices.