Carbon nanotube yarn strain sensors

Carbon nanotube (CNT) based sensors are often fabricated by dispersing CNTs into different types of polymer. In this paper, a prototype carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn strain sensor with excellent repeatability and stability for in situ structural health monitoring was developed. The CNT yarn was spun directly from CNT arrays, and its electrical resistance increased linearly with tensile strain, making it an ideal strain sensor. It showed consistent piezoresistive behavior under repetitive straining and unloading, and good resistance stability at temperatures ranging from 77 to 373 K. The sensors can be easily embedded into composite structures with minimal invasiveness and weight penalty. We have also demonstrated their ability to monitor crack initiation and propagation.