A reconfigurable and automatic platform for the on-demand production of stretchable conductive composites
A reconfigurable and automatic platform for the on-demand production of stretchable conductive composites
Stretchable conductive composites (SCCs) have been widely used as interconnects and sensors in stretchable electronic devices due to their tunable electromechanical properties and intrinsically high stretchability compared to solid metals. SCCs can be readily made by mixing (or breaking bulk) conductive fillers within an elastomeric polymer, which are subsequently cured. Despite the simplicity of this, most fabrication methods follow customized protocols and lack precise automatic control. These methods also require bulky and costly equipment (e.g. stirrers, mixers, ovens, and vacuuming machines). Also, variations in the production process make it challenging to maintain the consistency of SCC’s electrical and mechanical properties produced in different batches. To solve this problem, this work develops an automatic SCC production platform (ASPP) that can be programmed to produce SCCs with high consistency in properties. The versatility of ASPP is demonstrated by fabricating SCCs with single and hybrid fillers, and porous structures. The consistency of SCCs’ electromechanical properties is examined using samples fabricated in different batches following the same protocol. We further utilize the fabricated SCCs to realize various intelligent tactile sensing and heating platforms. The capability demonstrated for the ASPP shows its potential in fabricating SCCs for applications in soft robotics and wearable devices.
automatic platform, liquid metal, soft electronics, stretchable composites
1-11
Lu, Hongda
731b3c09-82ae-408b-8218-95b0de29f2dd
Zhang, Qingtian
58f0e671-0e53-478f-8f4d-b94dd720893e
Huang, Xumin
25e3f1a9-5c90-45c8-87cf-a2fd3552f646
Cole, Tim
78cebdf5-e360-4e8e-9dea-ba4b88306980
Yun, Guolin
240c3dc9-c224-41c0-8740-de165d1eb90b
Zhang, Yuxin
f858a4e3-2841-46cb-a6d7-a5230e25f467
Qiao, Ruirui
cf0ce629-af33-47c2-81c5-6d62ccf80f7e
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
20 March 2023
Lu, Hongda
731b3c09-82ae-408b-8218-95b0de29f2dd
Zhang, Qingtian
58f0e671-0e53-478f-8f4d-b94dd720893e
Huang, Xumin
25e3f1a9-5c90-45c8-87cf-a2fd3552f646
Cole, Tim
78cebdf5-e360-4e8e-9dea-ba4b88306980
Yun, Guolin
240c3dc9-c224-41c0-8740-de165d1eb90b
Zhang, Yuxin
f858a4e3-2841-46cb-a6d7-a5230e25f467
Qiao, Ruirui
cf0ce629-af33-47c2-81c5-6d62ccf80f7e
Li, Weihua
e2555036-0e48-425a-afeb-db6ffba5238e
Tang, Shi Yang
1d0f15c6-2a3e-4bad-a3d8-fc267db93ed4
Lu, Hongda, Zhang, Qingtian, Huang, Xumin, Cole, Tim, Yun, Guolin, Zhang, Yuxin, Qiao, Ruirui, Li, Weihua and Tang, Shi Yang
(2023)
A reconfigurable and automatic platform for the on-demand production of stretchable conductive composites.
Smart Materials and Structures, 32 (4), , [045018].
(doi:10.1088/1361-665X/acc221).
Abstract
Stretchable conductive composites (SCCs) have been widely used as interconnects and sensors in stretchable electronic devices due to their tunable electromechanical properties and intrinsically high stretchability compared to solid metals. SCCs can be readily made by mixing (or breaking bulk) conductive fillers within an elastomeric polymer, which are subsequently cured. Despite the simplicity of this, most fabrication methods follow customized protocols and lack precise automatic control. These methods also require bulky and costly equipment (e.g. stirrers, mixers, ovens, and vacuuming machines). Also, variations in the production process make it challenging to maintain the consistency of SCC’s electrical and mechanical properties produced in different batches. To solve this problem, this work develops an automatic SCC production platform (ASPP) that can be programmed to produce SCCs with high consistency in properties. The versatility of ASPP is demonstrated by fabricating SCCs with single and hybrid fillers, and porous structures. The consistency of SCCs’ electromechanical properties is examined using samples fabricated in different batches following the same protocol. We further utilize the fabricated SCCs to realize various intelligent tactile sensing and heating platforms. The capability demonstrated for the ASPP shows its potential in fabricating SCCs for applications in soft robotics and wearable devices.
Text
Lu_2023_Smart_Mater._Struct._32_045018
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Accepted/In Press date: 7 March 2023
Published date: 20 March 2023
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.
Keywords:
automatic platform, liquid metal, soft electronics, stretchable composites
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 481927
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/481927
ISSN: 0964-1726
PURE UUID: 8648d4c3-69ff-44a4-a9d9-dac1375e7ba7
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Date deposited: 13 Sep 2023 17:10
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 02:18
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Contributors
Author:
Hongda Lu
Author:
Qingtian Zhang
Author:
Xumin Huang
Author:
Tim Cole
Author:
Guolin Yun
Author:
Yuxin Zhang
Author:
Ruirui Qiao
Author:
Weihua Li
Author:
Shi Yang Tang
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