The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Strain sensors for stretchable wearable electronics require electrical stability and mechanical durability. In this study, a PDMS-based composite with aligned conductive fillers was fabricated using a directional melt crystallization (DMC) process, in which menthol was employed as a crystallizable template. Acetylene black (AB) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed in molten menthol and mixed with Sylgard 184 to form a homogeneous mixture. Directional crystallization induced by a temperature gradient led to the alignment of conductive fillers along the crystal growth direction. After crystallization, menthol was removed and Sylgard was crosslinked to obtain an elastic composite with aligned conductive fillers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the directional distribution of the conductive fillers. This study presents a crystallization-based strategy for controlling the arrangement of conductive fillers, providing a new approach for stretchable strain sensors design.