Stretchable Strain Sensors Fabricated by Screen Printing of Silver Paste on the Surface Modified Transparent Elastomeric Polyurethane Films

Abstract

Strain sensors for human-motion detection must offer high stretchability, high sensitivity, fast response, and high recovery speed. In this study, we choose silver paste as a sensing material and use a screen printing method to fabricate the strain sensor based upon an electrical-resistance mechanism. After curing elastomeric polyurethane film with a thickness of 150 µm on PET film, the polyester resin mixed with blocked isocyanate curing agent was coated as a masking layer to reduce the film’s stickiness. The effect of the polyester masking layer upon the silver paste screen printing process was examined using a rolling-ball-tack test, TGA analysis of polyester resins, and cured silver-electrode films. The cost-effective strain sensor fabricated by using silver paste and screen printing processes on the stretchable-polyurethane-substrate film showed high sensitivity and fast response in a strain range of up to 100%.