High-Temperature Annealed Biochar as a Conductive Filler for the Production of Piezoresistive Materials for Energy Conversion Application

In this research work, we develop a prototype that is able to convert mechanical strain into an electrical signal. To reach this scope, we evaluated the electrical properties of a thermally annealed biochar-based silicon composite. The great elasticity range of silicon will provide the mechanical properties for the realization of an effective piezoresistive material. For the fulfillment of this aim, we annealed olive biochar at 1500 °C in order to achieve a good degree of graphitization and an electrical conductivity close to 103 S/m. The electrical conductivity under the mechanical stress of composites was deeply investigated through experiments and simulation to achieve a comprehensive knowledge. Furthermore, a real device based on these composites was designed and realized to demonstrate one of the prospective exploitations of the composite piezoresistive properties.