Application of Conductive Polymer Composites to the Tensometry

G. Badrishvili, M. Kutsia, M. Bolotashvili (Institute of Machine Mechanics, Georgia)

ABSTRACT

The method of deformation measuring technique using a deformation sensor of simple design is described in this paper. The sensor presents a nonmetal coating made up on the basis of adhesives, paints, cements, mastics, polymer films, adhesive tapes etc. that contains electric conductive material as filler.

The tested electric conductive composite was obtained on the basis of polyvinyl acetate (PVA) and a carbon black (P-803). This material was coated on the non-metal diaphragm surface. The special device containing this diaphragm was used to investigate the coating resistance dependence on the diaphragm deformation magnitude.

The noted above sensor is very monitorable at measuring local deformations of complex form details, as the sensor may have any form and design of contacts (wires connected to the sensors) is very simple. The signal from separate regions of the sensor is accepted by a computer for a next treatment to determine local electric resistance changes on separate regions of the sensor. Currently, the tested adhesives may be used as deformation sensors. Further studies are necessary to widen their application area.