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Liquid Metal Composites with Anisotropic and Unconventional Piezoconductivity

Liquid Metal Composites with Anisotropic and Unconventional Piezoconductivity
Liquid Metal Composites with Anisotropic and Unconventional Piezoconductivity

Anisotropic elastic composites—that is, elastomers containing aligned fillers—often have enhanced properties in the direction of alignment. Depending on the fillers, these composites can have desirable electrical, thermal, or mechanical properties. Here, a silicone composite filled with both solid magnetic metal microparticles and liquid metal microdroplets has been developed. Aligning the solid particles within a magnetic field during curing imparts anisotropy in several properties. Thus, the composite is called an anisotropic liquid metal-filled magnetorheological elastomer (ALMMRE). Compared with isotropic liquid metal-filled composites, the conductivity of the ALMMRE is significantly enhanced in all directions. The ALMMRE also exhibits anisotropic piezoconductivity and a significantly enhanced electrical anisotropy under mechanical deformation; these properties are not observed in conventional anisotropic composites. The ALMMRE also shows anisotropic mechanical, thermal, and magnetic properties and demonstrates its several proof-of-concept applications. The sensitivity of the ALMMRE's properties to strain may help advance future flexible sensors and soft electronics.

anisotropic conductive composite, EGaIn, hybrid composite, liquid metal, magnetic field alignment, MAP2: Benchmark, opposite piezoconductivity, positive piezoconductivity
2590-2393
824-841
Yun, Guolin
240c3dc9-c224-41c0-8740-de165d1eb90b
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
Zhao, Qianbin
4e956b7f-4fb6-42fa-9a3b-b9a7c3703493
Zhang, Yuxin
f858a4e3-2841-46cb-a6d7-a5230e25f467
Lu, Hongda
731b3c09-82ae-408b-8218-95b0de29f2dd
Yuan, Dan
76b9b77e-dda5-4682-8db0-75bfad1d1258
Sun, Shuaishuai
94afa956-f4bc-44b5-a5ce-23850fd51eda
Deng, Lei
2f7ab8fa-0882-40a3-af89-33942dc64866
Dickey, Michael D.
5fe7588c-05b3-4e27-a023-e9a5cb72a305
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e
Yun, Guolin
240c3dc9-c224-41c0-8740-de165d1eb90b
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
Zhao, Qianbin
4e956b7f-4fb6-42fa-9a3b-b9a7c3703493
Zhang, Yuxin
f858a4e3-2841-46cb-a6d7-a5230e25f467
Lu, Hongda
731b3c09-82ae-408b-8218-95b0de29f2dd
Yuan, Dan
76b9b77e-dda5-4682-8db0-75bfad1d1258
Sun, Shuaishuai
94afa956-f4bc-44b5-a5ce-23850fd51eda
Deng, Lei
2f7ab8fa-0882-40a3-af89-33942dc64866
Dickey, Michael D.
5fe7588c-05b3-4e27-a023-e9a5cb72a305
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e

Yun, Guolin, Tang, Shi Yang, Zhao, Qianbin, Zhang, Yuxin, Lu, Hongda, Yuan, Dan, Sun, Shuaishuai, Deng, Lei, Dickey, Michael D. and Li, Weihua (2020) Liquid Metal Composites with Anisotropic and Unconventional Piezoconductivity. Matter, 3 (3), 824-841. (doi:10.1016/j.matt.2020.05.022).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Anisotropic elastic composites—that is, elastomers containing aligned fillers—often have enhanced properties in the direction of alignment. Depending on the fillers, these composites can have desirable electrical, thermal, or mechanical properties. Here, a silicone composite filled with both solid magnetic metal microparticles and liquid metal microdroplets has been developed. Aligning the solid particles within a magnetic field during curing imparts anisotropy in several properties. Thus, the composite is called an anisotropic liquid metal-filled magnetorheological elastomer (ALMMRE). Compared with isotropic liquid metal-filled composites, the conductivity of the ALMMRE is significantly enhanced in all directions. The ALMMRE also exhibits anisotropic piezoconductivity and a significantly enhanced electrical anisotropy under mechanical deformation; these properties are not observed in conventional anisotropic composites. The ALMMRE also shows anisotropic mechanical, thermal, and magnetic properties and demonstrates its several proof-of-concept applications. The sensitivity of the ALMMRE's properties to strain may help advance future flexible sensors and soft electronics.

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More information

Published date: 2 September 2020
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Inc.
Keywords: anisotropic conductive composite, EGaIn, hybrid composite, liquid metal, magnetic field alignment, MAP2: Benchmark, opposite piezoconductivity, positive piezoconductivity

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 481720
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/481720
ISSN: 2590-2393
PURE UUID: b0e77b34-b406-4c3c-88f3-559dbadd197b
ORCID for Shi Yang Tang: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3079-8880

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 06 Sep 2023 16:50
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 02:18

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Contributors

Author: Guolin Yun
Author: Shi Yang Tang ORCID iD
Author: Qianbin Zhao
Author: Yuxin Zhang
Author: Hongda Lu
Author: Dan Yuan
Author: Shuaishuai Sun
Author: Lei Deng
Author: Michael D. Dickey
Author: Weihua Li

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