High temperature co-polyester thermoplastic elastomer nanocomposites for flexible self-regulating heating devices
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Pyroresistive polymer composites are smart materials with great promise in numerous fields of electronic devices, including temperature and strain sensors, self-regulating heating, and over-current/over-temperature protective devices. However, the operational window of these materials is limited by the phase transition temperatures of the polymer matrix and the brittleness of the composites. Herein, a conductive polymer composite based on a co-polyester thermoplastic elastomer reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) was developed, which exhibits a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) switching temperature of 200 °C. This system shows a more gradual increase in resistivity with temperature and a less pronounced drop in resistivity past the critical transition temperature than other PTC composites. Moreover, Joule heating experiments revealed the ability to regulate at a predefined maximum temperature (within 150 – 200 °C), tuneable through parameters such as filler concentration, applied voltage and thermal boundary conditions, as also demonstrated by multiphysics simulations. Due to the more gradual PTC curve, this composite can produce steady state heating far below the PTC peak, unlike almost all other PTC materials: a unique advantage for self-regulating heating devices as the polymer is not in a melt state, reducing polymer degradation, filler mobility and increasing safety margin before onset of NTC behaviour.
Date Issued
2024-06
Date Acceptance
2024-05-02
Citation
Materials and Design, 2024, 242
ISSN
0264-1275
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Materials and Design
Volume
242
Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2024.113000
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
113000
Date Publish Online
2024-05-04