Stretchable conductive fibers offer unparalleled advantages in the development of wearable strain sensors for smart textiles due to their excellent flexibility and weaveability.However,the practical applications of th...Stretchable conductive fibers offer unparalleled advantages in the development of wearable strain sensors for smart textiles due to their excellent flexibility and weaveability.However,the practical applications of these fibers in wearable devices are hindered by either contradictory properties of conductive fibers(high stretchability versus high sensing stability),or lack of manufacturing scalability.Herein,we present a facile approach for highly stretchable self-crimping fiber strain sensors based on a polyether-ester(TPEE)elastomer matrix using a side-by-side bicomponent melt-spinning process involving two parallel but attached components with different shrinkage properties.The TPEE component serves as a highly elastic mechanical support layer within the bicomponent fibers,while the conductive component(E-TPEE)of carbon black(CB),multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)and TPEE works as a strain-sensitive layer.In addition to the intrinsic elasticity of the matrix,theTPEE/E-TPEE bicomponent fibers present an excellent form of elasticity due to self-crimping.The self-crimping elongation of the fibers can provide a large deformation,and after the crimp disappears,the intrinsic elastic deformation is responsible for monitoring the strain sensing.The reliable strain sensing range of theTPEE/E-TPEE composite fibers was 160%-270%and could be regulated by adjusting the crimp structure.More importantly,the TPEE/E-TPEE fibers had a diameter of 30-40 pm and tenacity of 40-50 MPa,showing the necessary practicality.This work introduces new possibilities for fiber strain sensors produced in standard industrial spinning machines.展开更多
基金the Prospective Applied Basic Research Program of Suzhou City(No.SYG202041)the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China(No.19KJB540004)+1 种基金Jiangsu Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020Z159)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2017M620125).
文摘Stretchable conductive fibers offer unparalleled advantages in the development of wearable strain sensors for smart textiles due to their excellent flexibility and weaveability.However,the practical applications of these fibers in wearable devices are hindered by either contradictory properties of conductive fibers(high stretchability versus high sensing stability),or lack of manufacturing scalability.Herein,we present a facile approach for highly stretchable self-crimping fiber strain sensors based on a polyether-ester(TPEE)elastomer matrix using a side-by-side bicomponent melt-spinning process involving two parallel but attached components with different shrinkage properties.The TPEE component serves as a highly elastic mechanical support layer within the bicomponent fibers,while the conductive component(E-TPEE)of carbon black(CB),multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)and TPEE works as a strain-sensitive layer.In addition to the intrinsic elasticity of the matrix,theTPEE/E-TPEE bicomponent fibers present an excellent form of elasticity due to self-crimping.The self-crimping elongation of the fibers can provide a large deformation,and after the crimp disappears,the intrinsic elastic deformation is responsible for monitoring the strain sensing.The reliable strain sensing range of theTPEE/E-TPEE composite fibers was 160%-270%and could be regulated by adjusting the crimp structure.More importantly,the TPEE/E-TPEE fibers had a diameter of 30-40 pm and tenacity of 40-50 MPa,showing the necessary practicality.This work introduces new possibilities for fiber strain sensors produced in standard industrial spinning machines.
