Ion implantation can be successfully employed to produce thin conductive films in insulating polymers. To this aim, epoxy bulk samples were implanted at room temperature with C + ions of 50-100 keV, ion fluences ranging from 1.5 × 10 17 to 3 × 10 17 ions/cm 2 and current density of 0.5-2 μA/cm 2. The distribution and the depth profile of the implanted ions were calculated by SRIM and TRIDYN codes. The electrical resistance of the implanted samples was measured at room temperature: a significant conductivity was obtained when all the irradiation parameters were set to their highest value. The changes in electrical resistance were studied during compression and three-point bending tests, in order to evaluate the sensitivity of the implanted polymers and to study their capability to absorb distortions. A linear relationship between electrical resistance and surface load was noticed. The results showed that these innovative strain gauges exhibit very high sensitivity and reliability. They can be easily integrated in complex components and used for in-service monitoring of their structural stability and mechanical strain. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

cited By 3