Integration of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) in Oxide Ceramic Composites for Temperature Sensing Applications

Temperature sensing plays a crucial role in structural health monitoring (SHM) of ceramic composites. Monitoring the temperature of ceramic composite structures can provide valuable information about their thermal behavior, potential thermal stresses, and the occurrence of any abnormal temperature variations that may indicate structural damage or degradation. The integration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into oxide ceramic composites has emerged as a promising avenue for temperature sensing applications. This innovative approach combines the exceptional electrical and thermal properties of MWCNTs with the inherent advantages of oxide ceramics, resulting in a versatile and high-performance sensor platform. In this work, the feasibility of employing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in high-temperature sensing applications was explored through their incorporation into a reinforced ceramic composite made of aluminum oxide. MWCNTs were blended with the reinforced aluminum oxide ceramic composite at concentrations of up to 0.5 wt. % using a solution mixing technique to ensure the uniform distribution of the oxide ceramic composite powders. Electrical measurements were also carried out to investigate the homogeneous distribution of the MWCNTs within the oxide ceramic matrix. Where, the developed composite shows good dependency to the temperature ranges from 25 °C to 130 °C in the frequency range 40 Hz -1MHz.