Engineering thermally and electrically conductive nanomaterial-polymer composites for thermal sensing applications

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In pharmaceutical, manufacturing, energy, and other industries, accurate knowledge of both temperature and thermal properties of materials is of critical importance. In some cases, these values and properties must be characterized during the production process. Some accurate systems for making thermal measurements are commercially available; one key part of these systems is a sensing material that has temperature-dependent properties (such as the electrical resistance of a metal, which changes with temperature). The applicability and availability of these systems is limited by the fact their cost remains high due to the difficulty in manufacturing reliable devices using conventional materials and processes. In addition, these devices can be bulky and brittle. The purpose of this work is to engineer materials that can be used to rapidly and inexpensively manufacture reliable thermal sensing devices on a variety of different types of surfaces. In this project, the University of Alberta will partner with C-Therm Technologies Ltd, a Canadian company that produces and distributes cutting-edge thermal analysis equipment to develop new, printable materials for thermal sensing applications based on polymer-nanomaterial composites. This work will take advantage of the unique thermal and electrical properties that can be achieved through engineering of composite materials. These composite materials can be designed to undergo very large and reversible changes in electrical properties (e.g. resistance and/or capacitance) as a function of temperature, allowing them to form the active material of sensing devices. This research will focus on two main aims. (AIM 1) Develop printable temperature-responsive materials that undergo a change in resistance as a function of temperature, and that can be patterned to form arrays of sensors for real-time mapping of thermal properties (including effusivity and heat capacity). (AIM 2) Utilize the unique properties of nanomaterials to engineer composites that undergo a change in capacitance in response to temperature. Outcomes will include both an in-depth understanding of material properties and new devices for industry.