The demand for high performance multifunctional wearable devices is more and more pushing towards the development of novel low-cost, soft and flexible sensors with high sensitivity. In the present work, we describe the fabrication process and the properties of new polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) foams loaded with multilayer graphene nanoplatelets (MLGs) for application as high sensitive piezoresistive pressure sensors. The effective DC conductivity of the produced foams is measured as a function of MLG loading. The piezoresistive response of the MLG-PDMS foam-based sensor at different strain rates is assessed through quasi-static pressure tests. The results of the experimental investigations demonstrated that sensor loaded with 0.96 wt.% of MLGs is characterized by a highly repeatable pressure-dependent conductance after a few stabilization cycles and it is suitable for detecting compressive stresses as low as 10 kPa, with a sensitivity of 0.23 kPa⁻¹, corresponding to an applied pressure of 70 kPa. Moreover, it is estimated that the sensor is able to detect pressure variations of ~1 Pa. Therefore, the new graphene-PDMS composite foam is a lightweight cost-effective material, suitable for sensing applications in the subtle or low and medium pressure ranges.

The equivalent single-conductor model of a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) interconnect is derived analytically from the rigorous formulation of the complex multiconductor transmission-line propagation equations. The expressions of the per-unit-length (p.u.l.) equivalent quantum capacitance and kinetic inductance are obtained in closed form. A new accurate approximated expression of the equivalent p.u.l. quantum capacitance is proposed. It is demonstrated, through analytical derivations and numerical calculations, that the new expression is valid for the most of MWCNT interconnect configurations, whereas a more simplified formula, obtained on the basis of qualitative considerations, produces high approximation errors. The proposed model is solved in both the frequency and time domains. Transient analyses are performed in order to predict the attenuation and time delay of a pulse signal transmitted along an MWCNT as a function of the tube length and number of shells. Simulation results are also compared with measured data available in literature.

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the electromagnetic properties of new composite materials that are of interest to future aircraft/aerospace structures. The fabrication process of single-phase and new multiphase micro/nanocomposites is described. Carbon black, carbon fibers, and multiwall carbon nanotubes are randomly mixed into an epoxy resin matrix at various weight fractions and compositions. The experimental characterization in the frequency range 8-18 GHz shows that the dispersion characteristics of short-carbon-fiber-reinforced composites can be properly controlled by the addition of nanopowders and nanotubes into the mixture. Numerical simulations demonstrate the feasibility of the fabricated materials for the design of new electromagnetic micro/nanostructured shields and radar-absorbing laminates. Thin dielectric Salisbury screens are especially designed to exhibit minimum reflection coefficient at 15 GHz. It shows that the total thickness of the screen can be reduced below 2 mm by using a lossy sheet made of three-phase composites.