Positive pressure-induced strain sensor and preparation method thereof
Technical Field
The invention relates to the field of strain sensing, in particular to a positive pressure induced strain sensor and a preparation method thereof.
Background
In recent years, stretchable strain sensors based on conductive elastic composite materials have been widely used in the field of flexible electronics, such as electronic skins, soft robots, and wearable devices. These composites are typically mixtures of conductive fillers filled in an elastomeric matrix, the strain elongation being sensed by the change in electrical resistance of the filler during separation. Thus, most elastic composites exhibit a negative pressure conductivity effect, i.e., the resistance of the filler increases under tensile strain and the electrical conductivity of the composite decreases. In practical applications, the negative pressure conductance effect has strict requirements on the measurement equipment: when the amount of strain reaches a large value, a resistance signal is highly likely to appear 10 7 -10 9 By orders of magnitude, which is beyond the range of commonly used resistance testing instruments. Therefore, the compressive conductivity (or strain response) of the conductive elastic composite is critical for the application of the composite in the field of stretchable strain sensors.
However, much of the existing research into the compressive conductivity of conductive elastic composites has focused on reducing the initial resistance of the composite in an attempt to detect the resistance signal at as large a strain as possible over the span of the resistance measuring device. This type of optimization is very limited and does not fundamentally solve the problem of limitation of the range of the equipment to the upper limit of stretchability of the composite. And the sensitivity of the conductive elastic composite material to the strain is related to the initial resistance, so that the initial resistance of the composite material is reduced, and the sensitivity degree of the composite material to the tensile strain is possibly weakened. Therefore, a new material system or a new process is urgently needed to be designed, so that the conductive elastic composite material with the positive pressure conductivity characteristic can be obtained, and the contradiction between the equipment range and the ultrahigh resistance signal of the composite material under large strain is fundamentally solved.
The core of the existing strain sensor is a conductive elastic composite material, which generally has a negative pressure conductivity characteristic, that is, the conductivity decreases with the increase of tensile strain, and the measurable resistance (or current) range of the device has a great limit on the upper sensing limit of the composite material.
Several optimization methods have emerged in recent years to address this problem. Research team at Chinese academy of sciences at Ti 3 C 2 T x In the/graphene/PDMS strain sensing structure (DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2019.104134), the graphene content is increased, the initial resistance of the composite material is reduced, and the upper limit of the detectable strain is improved to 75% from 35%. But the resistance signal is at least 10 7 And the measurement can be carried out only by special scientific equipment. And the sensitivity of the device to tensile strain is significantly reduced after the initial resistance is reduced. The research team of Australian Wolonggang university innovatively designs a positive pressure conduction material (DOI: 10.1038/s 41467-019-09325-4) compounded by liquid metal and magnetic nanoparticles. Under the action of tensile strain, the conductivity of the material is enhanced, and the resistance (current) signal is changed to a level which can be detected by a common multimeter. However, the raw material is GaIn liquid alloy, which is very expensive, has no biocompatibility and is not suitable for the flexible electronic field related to human body contact; and the preparation process depends on a strong magnetic field, and has high requirements on equipment.
Although some optimization methods are disclosed in the existing research, the optimization effect is limited, the sensitivity needs to be sacrificed, which is an important performance parameter, or the defects of complex equipment, complex process, high raw material cost and the like exist. Therefore, the development of the conductive elastic composite material with low cost, green and positive pressure conductivity is of great significance.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to provide a positive pressure-induced strain sensor and a preparation method thereof, wherein nano-Cellulose (CNF) insulated in CNF-C transparent hydrogel is used as a filling material, and Na dissolved in the transparent hydrogel + Or K + 、Cl + The ions are conductive phases, liquid conductive gel with viscous flow is obtained after the ions are uniformly dispersed, the conductive gel is injected into the through hole of the elastic matrix for coating, and the stretchable strain sensor can be obtained, so that the problem that resistance signals are too large or current signals are too small under large strain to cause difficulty in measurement in the field of strain sensing is solved, the strain sensing range is expanded from the angle of signal measurement, the required raw materials are cheap and easy to obtain, and the cost is greatly reduced.
The invention discloses a positive pressure-induced strain sensor which comprises an insulating CNF with a three-dimensional network structure, deionized water and a water-soluble NaCl crystal. CNF, namely nano-cellulose, is an insulating material, is obtained from fibers of parts such as branches and trunks of trees, cotton flowers and the like, and is refined into nano-scale cellulose after physical and chemical treatment. In the dry powder state, the yarn is in a curled filamentous shape, such as a ball of wool; dispersed in polar solvent such as water, and the fiber is spread into a network structure.
Preferably, the CNF nanofibers are 1-3 μm long and 4-10 nm in diameter.
Preferably, the NaCl crystals can be replaced by KCl crystals.
The invention also discloses a preparation method of the positive pressure-induced strain sensor, which comprises the following steps:
step 1, dissolving CNF powder in deionized water, and stirring to obtain CNF-C transparent hydrogel;
step 2, adding NaCl crystals into the CNF-C transparent hydrogel, and stirring to obtain uniform and stable NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel; after stirring, the whole conductive gel is transparent, has no obvious precipitation or layering and is regarded as uniform; after the test piece is placed in a sealed manner for 48 hours, no white NaCl crystal is separated out, and the test resistance has no obvious change and is considered to be stable.
Step 3, constructing an elastic matrix with a through hole: separating a square area on a PET substrate; arranging a metal rod in the middle of the square area, and fixing two ends of the metal rod to suspend the metal rod in the air; mixing the two-component epoxy resin at normal temperature and pressure with A: B =1:1, and pouring into a square area; after the elastic matrix is solidified, drawing out the metal rod to form a through hole; the construction process of the elastic matrix depends on a container with a regular shape, the shape of the container can be changed according to requirements, and PET is cheap, flexible and easy to remove and is very suitable as a base of the container;
and 4, injecting NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel into the through hole of the elastic matrix, and plugging two ends of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel by using a conducting wire to obtain the positive pressure conductive strain sensor.
Preferably, in step 1, the cell is stirred by an ultrasonic cell crusher at the rotation speed of 15000 r/min for 7-8 minutes, or stirred by a high-pressure homogenizer at the pressure of 40MPa for 1-2 minutes.
Preferably, CNF-C is an insulating gel-like material. CNF, when dissolved in water in an amount > 0.3%, thixotropic to a gel, rather than a solution. To distinguish from its dry powder state (CNF), the gel formed after dissolution in water is called CNF-C. The CNF dry powder needs to meet 2 conditions in an aqueous solution to be thixotropic into a gel state, otherwise it is a suspension: CNF mass fraction is more than 0.3%, and stirring at high speed.
Preferably, the mass fraction of the NaCl component in the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel is 10-40%. The strain response characteristic of the conductive gel can be regulated and controlled by adjusting the mass fraction of NaCl.
Preferably, the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel has positive pressure conductivity and the conductivity is 0.7-1.2S/m under no tensile strain. The electrical conductivity is better under tensile strain.
The invention has the beneficial effects that:
(1) The NaCl/CNF-C transparent hydrogel structure basically keeps the optical transparency of a NaCl aqueous solution, but has a strain response characteristic completely opposite to that of the NaCl aqueous solution, the resistance signal of the NaCl aqueous solution is increased along with the increase of tensile strain, and a common electrical test instrument is difficult to detect the resistance signal after reaching a certain order of magnitude.
(2) The raw materials adopted by the invention are nano-cellulose and NaCl crystals or KCl crystals which are cheap and abundant in yield, so that the preparation cost of the tensile strain sensor is greatly reduced.
(3) The NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel has the characteristic of infinite flow and extension of liquid materials and can be repeatedly used; by adopting a split type filling process, the elastic matrix can be reserved after the device fails, and the conductive gel is independently replaced, so that the device can be recycled.
(4) The invention relates to normal temperature and pressure curing, physical mixing and other processes, and has simple operation and no need of any medium or large equipment.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a positive pressure-induced strain sensor.
Fig. 2 is an optical photograph of a positive pressure induced strain sensor.
FIG. 3 is a graph comparing the conductivity of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gels prepared in example 1, example 2 and example 3.
Fig. 4 is a graph showing the tensile strain response of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gels prepared in example 1, example 2 and example 3.
Detailed Description
The present invention will be further described with reference to the structures or terms used herein. The description is given for the sake of example only, to illustrate how the invention may be implemented, and does not constitute any limitation on the invention.
Example 1
1 g of CNF powder with the length of 1-3 mu m and the diameter of 4-10 nm is dissolved in 99 g of deionized water, and the CNF-C transparent hydrogel is dispersed after being stirred by an ultrasonic cell disruptor. And (3) taking 20 g of CNF-C transparent hydrogel, adding 2 g of NaCl crystal, and stirring to obtain uniform and stable NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel. The NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel has positive pressure conductivity and the conductivity is 0.7S/m under no tensile strain.
A square area of 20mm by 5mm was separated on a PET substrate with 3M insulating tape of thickness 3 mm. A metal rod with the outer diameter of 1mm and the circular cross section is arranged in the middle of the square area, and two ends of the metal rod are fixed to enable the metal rod to be suspended. The two-component epoxy resin was mixed at room temperature and pressure with a: B =1:1 and poured into the square area to be flush with the 3M tape. A generally refers to a main agent, B generally refers to a curing agent or a hardening agent, and Ecoflex 00-30 type epoxy resin manufactured by Smooth-On company is adopted in the embodiment. After the elastomer matrix has cured, the metal rod is drawn out from one end to obtain a size of 20X 5X 3mm 3 A through hole of 1mm diameter, see fig. 2.
And (3) injecting the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel into the through hole of the elastic matrix, plugging two ends of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel by using a lead, wherein the lead is placed in the through hole and has the length of 3mm, and obtaining the positive pressure conductive strain sensor, which is shown in figure 1.
Example 2
This example differs from example 1 in that: the addition proportions of the NaCl and the CNF-C are different.
1 g of CNF powder with the length of 1-3 mu m and the diameter of 4-10 nm is dissolved in 99 g of deionized water, and the CNF-C transparent hydrogel is dispersed after being stirred by an ultrasonic cell disruptor. And (3) taking 10 g of CNF-C transparent hydrogel, adding 2 g of NaCl crystal, and stirring to obtain uniform and stable NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel. The NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel has positive pressure conductivity and the conductivity is 1S/m under no tensile strain.
A square area of 20mm by 5mm was separated on a PET substrate with 3M insulating tape of thickness 3 mm. A metal rod with the outer diameter of 1mm and the circular cross section is arranged in the middle of the square area, and two ends of the metal rod are fixed to enable the metal rod to be suspended. The two-component epoxy resin was mixed at room temperature and pressure with a: B =1:1 and poured into the square area to be flush with the 3M tape. A is generally a main agent, B is generally a curing agent or a hardening agent, and Ecoflex 00-30 type epoxy resin produced by Smooth-On company is adopted in the embodiment. After the elastomeric matrix has cured, the metal rod is pulled out from one end to obtain a rod of dimensions 20X 5X 3mm 3 A through hole of 1mm diameter, see fig. 2.
And (3) injecting NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel into the through hole of the elastic matrix, plugging two ends of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel by using a lead, and arranging the lead in the through hole to obtain the positive pressure conductive strain sensor, wherein the length of the lead is 3mm, and the positive pressure conductive strain sensor is shown in figure 1.
Example 3
The present example differs from example 1 in that: the addition proportions of the NaCl and the CNF-C are different.
1 g of CNF powder with the length of 1-3 mu m and the diameter of 4-10 nm is dissolved in 99 g of deionized water, and the CNF-C transparent hydrogel is dispersed after being stirred by an ultrasonic cell disruptor. 5 g of CNF-C transparent hydrogel is taken, 2 g of NaCl crystal is added, and the mixture is stirred to form uniform and stable NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel. The NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel has positive pressure conductivity and the conductivity is 1.2S/m under no tensile strain.
A square area of 20mm by 5mm was separated on a PET substrate with 3M insulating tape of thickness 3 mm. A metal rod with the outer diameter of 1mm and the circular cross section is arranged in the middle of the square area, and two ends of the metal rod are fixed to enable the metal rod to be suspended. The two-component epoxy resin was mixed at room temperature and pressure with a: B =1:1 and poured into the square area to be flush with the 3M tape. A generally refers to a main agent, B generally refers to a curing agent or a hardening agent, and Ecoflex 00-30 type epoxy resin manufactured by Smooth-On company is adopted in the embodiment. After the elastomer matrix has cured, the metal rod is drawn out from one end to obtain a size of 20X 5X 3mm 3 An elastomeric matrix with a through hole diameter of 1mm, see fig. 2.
And (3) injecting NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel into the through hole of the elastic matrix, plugging two ends of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel by using a lead, and arranging the lead in the through hole to obtain the positive pressure conductive strain sensor, wherein the length of the lead is 3mm, and the positive pressure conductive strain sensor is shown in figure 1.
FIG. 3: the conductivity contrast graphs of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gels prepared in example 1, example 2 and example 3 show that the more NaCl content, the higher the conductivity of the conductive gel.
FIG. 4: the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gels prepared in examples 1, 2 and 3 showed negative pressure conductivity when NaCl was simply dissolved in water, and the resistance thereof increased with an increase in tensile strain, and increased by 2.4% when the amount of strain was 50%. The NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel has a positive voltage conductivity characteristic in contrast to the response behavior of the NaCl/CNF-C conductive gel to tensile strain, and the resistance decreases with the increase of the tensile strain. The resistance drops of example 1, example 2 and example 3 were 12.4%, 15% and 15%, respectively, at a tensile strain of 50%. The NaCl content is increased, so that the conductivity of the conductive gel can be optimized, and the sensitivity of the conductive gel to tensile strain can be properly improved.
Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea, and not to limit it. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some technical features may be equivalently replaced; such modifications or substitutions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention's device solution. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.