Temperature Detectable Surface Coating with Carbon Nanotube/Epoxy Composites

In the construction and machinery industry, heat is a major factor causing damage and destruction. The safety and efficiency of most machines and structures are greatly affected by temperature, and temperature management and control are essential. In this study, a carbon nanotube (CNT) based temperature sensing coating that can be applied to machines and structures having various structural types was fabricated, and characteristics analysis and temperature sensing performance were evaluated. The surface coating, which detects temperature through resistance change is made of a nanocomposite composed of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and epoxy (EP). We investigated the electrical properties by CNT concentration and temperature sensing performance of CNT/EP coating against static and cyclic temperatures. In addition, the applicability of the CNT/EP coating was investigated through a partially heating and cooling experiment. As a result of the experiment, the CNT/EP coating showed higher electrical conductivity as the CNT concentration increased. In addition, the CNT/EP coating exhibits high sensing performance in the high and sub-zero temperature ranges with a negative temperature coefficient of resistance. Therefore, the proposed CNT/EP coatings are promising for use as multi-functional coating materials for the detection of high and freezing temperatures.