Sensing characterization of an amorphous PDMS/Ecoflex blend composites with an improved interfacial bonding and rubbing performance

In this paper, a polymer blend labeled PDMS/Ecoflex (PE) was fabricated using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Ecoflex 00-30 in various proportions. An innovative carbon nanotube/carbon black (CNT/CB) hybrid filler reinforced cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant was prepared and sprayed to obtain CNT/CB/PE composite material. The resulting PE blend matrix showed excellent mechanical properties, including high stretchability of nearly 500% strain, minimal hysteresis, and reduced friction by up to 75% with decreasing wear. These properties were attributed to the combined effect of Young’s modulus, stiffness, and hardness of PDMS and Ecoflex. Additionally, three types of contacts CNT-CB, CB-CB, and CNT-CNT were produced by the favorable interaction of CNT and CB particles, stabilizing the sensor signal. The CNT/CB/PE sensor had an improved wear resistance, conductivity stabilization, stretchability, gauge factor during the tensile test, and strain-dependent sensitivity across a broad range of fixed strains (up to 100% strain). Furthermore, the sensor was attached to various human body joints to track the related human motions, proving the fascinating perspective in detecting various human movements and making it appropriate for application in multifunctional wearable devices in hostile environments.