Sensitive response of GNP/epoxy coatings as strain sensors: Analysis of tensile-compressive and reversible cyclic behavior

Abstract

The electromechanical performance and reversibility of sensitive GNP/epoxy strain sensors were experimentally and theoretically analyzed. Under tensile loads, the strain sensors showed lower sensitivity and more linearity than bulk sensors, behavior attributed to a slight preferential orientation of the GNPs along the in-plane direction. The Gauge Factor (GF) obtained was 9.1 ± 0.9 and 11 ± 1 for strain values up to 0.005 mm mm-1 and above 0.015 mm mm-1, respectively. In contrast, the electromechanical response when subjected to compressive strain is more complex and three different regions are distinguished: (I) diminution, (II) stabilization and (III) increase of the normalized electrical resistance. Here, GF under compressive loads was negative at low strain values (region I), being -13 ± 2, and positive at high strain (region III), with a value of 8 ± 1. Theoretical analysis revealed that at low strain, there is prevalence of in-plane tunneling mechanisms whereas at higher strain, the out of plane mechanisms dominate, explaining the apparently anomalous behavior at compressive loads. Additionally, strain sensors showed high reversibility with cyclic load in the electromechanical response, but under compressive forces, the loading-unloading electrical resistance curve was asymmetric due to the opening and closing of microcavities and defects in the vicinities of the GNPs.