Multifunctional composite material based on piezoelectric nanofibers and Cu-CFRP electrodes for sensing applications

To monitor possible failures of a composite, several Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems have been developed. However, these methods typically involve embedding commercial sensors within the laminate, potentially compromising the material's strength. In this study, a self-sensing composite laminate was fabricated by interleaving poly(vinylidenefluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) piezoelectric nanofibers between Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) prepreg plies. Instead of conventional metallic sheets, hybrid Copper-Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (Cu-CFRP) was used as electrodes to collect piezoelectric signals. This innovative approach offers two main advantages: enhanced interlaminar fracture toughness due to nanometric piezoelectric fibers and an intrinsic connection between copper wires and carbon, eliminating the need for additional electrical cables within the laminate. The effect of stacking sequence parameters on the self-sensing laminate's electromechanical response was investigated using a Design of Experiment (DoE) based on the Box-Benken method. Additionally, a lumped electric circuit model was employed to gain analytical insights into the piezoelectric behavior of the laminates.