Cognizant Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites Incorporating Seamlessly Integrated Sensing and Computing Circuitry

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Engineering
• Smart Structures

Background:

• Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are vital in infrastructure.
• Integrating sensors for health monitoring in FRPs is crucial.
• Existing methods lack integrated sensing and decision-making capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative cognizant composite material.
• To enable self-sensing, computation, and decision-making within the composite.
• To create a resilient infrastructure with in situ monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of textile sensors with flexible circuitry and a microcontroller embedded within the polymer composite.
• Microstructural investigation using XPS to optimize polypyrrole adsorption on fiberglass.
• Testing circuitry and sensor designs for strain resolution and resistance under mechanical loading.

Main Results:

• Optimized polypyrrole adsorption on fiberglass using specific oxidative agent concentration and soaking time.
• Achieved a 30% strain range with effective sensor and circuitry designs.
• Demonstrated self-sensing, computation, and autonomous actuation (LED light) at a 2000 µε strain limit.

Conclusions:

• The developed cognizant composite offers in situ monitoring and autonomous response capabilities for structural components.
• This technology is a critical step towards smart, resilient infrastructure.
• Potential to reduce manufacturing, production, and maintenance costs for composite structures.