Piezoelectric PAN/BaTiO₃ nanofiber membranes sensor for structural health monitoring of real-time damage detection in composite

Structural health monitoring (SHM) plays a significant role to avoid the catastrophic failure of composites during practical applications. This research developed a polyacrylonitrile and flexible barium titanate (PAN/BaTiO₃) piezoelectric nanofiber membranes sensor for real-time damage detection in composites. The conversion between mechanical energy and electrical energy of the sensor was verified by an electrochemical system. The introduction of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles improved the mechanical-to-electrical output of 9.3 V of peak values with 15 wt% loaded piezoelectric nanofiber membranes. In the application test, slight deformation on the piezoelectric nanofiber membranes sensor instantly lighted up the commercial LED bulbs. Moreover, the piezoelectric PAN/BaTiO₃ sensor still created piezoelectric effect within the composite after curing with carbon fiber, and improved the interlaminated shear strength. The bending and piezoelectric properties of the composite were tested simultaneously. The composite showed good response to electrical signals during the mechanical loading and achieving real-time monitoring of the delamination failure. This sensor showed good potential as a flexible reinforcement in composite materials for SHM applications.