Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotube / Polydimethylsiloxane Composites Yarn

Carbon nano tube (CNT) yarn is an axially aligned CNT assembly. It has great potential many applications. In this study, the mechanical and electrical properties of the aerogel-spun CNT yarns and CNT/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite yarns were investigated. The CNT/PDMS yarn was fabricated by droplet infiltration of PDMS solution into the aerogel-spun CNT yarn. The mechanical properties of the CNT/PDMS yarns were significantly improved with an average strength of 837.29 MPa and modulus of 3.66 GPa, over 100% improvement compared to the original CNT yarns. The electrical conductivity of the CNT/PDMS yarn increased from 1636 S/cm to 3555 S/cm. The electromechanical properties of CNT/PDMS yarns demonstrated that such CNT yarn could be suitable for strain sensors.