Conductive Rubber Nanocomposites as Tensile and Pressure Sensors

A conductive silicone rubber (SR) composite, filled with both carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon black (CB) is prepared by a simple ball milling method. Because of the good dispersion and synergistic effects of CNT and CB, the SR composite shows improvement in mechanical properties. As well, due to the assembly of conductive pathways generated by the CNT and CB, the nanocomposite becomes highly conductive at a comparatively low concentration with very high sensitivity for tensile and compressive stress. These outstanding properties show that the SR composite has potential applications in tensile and pressure sensors.