{"id":{"repo_id":"unm","oai_identifier":"oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:me_etds-1055"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/unm/oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:me_etds-1055","repository":{"repo_id":"unm","name":"University of New Mexico","base_url":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes surface-stamped on polydimethylsiloxane for microvalve actuation","abstract":"I report on the study of the electrical and mechanical effects of the inclusion of a thin layer of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a method of creating an electrically actuated, flexible microfluidic valve. Samples of PDMS loaded with various surface loadings of MWCNT on the surface are prepared and tested using a uniaxial tension tester, combined with a four point probe electrical test. In contrast with other works reporting inclusion of MWCNT in the bulk of the material, I have found that inclusion of the MWCNT on the surface only has no discernable effect on the mechanical properties of the PDMS samples, but causes a significant and repeatable change in the electrical performance. I have also found that a loading of 4.16 g/m2 results in an electrical resistivity of 7.31\\u038710-4 ohms\\u0387cm, which is 200% lower than that previously reported for bulk inclusion samples. The microstructure of the MWCNTs was found to consist of both individual fibers and spherical clumps of fibers. I suggest that, due to the microstructure of the MWCNTs used in this study, the mechanical properties can be modeled as a thin layer of particulates, while the electrical properties can be modeled as a thin bed of bulk MWCNTs.","abstract_html":"I report on the study of the electrical and mechanical effects of the inclusion of a thin layer of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a method of creating an electrically actuated, flexible microfluidic valve. Samples of PDMS loaded with various surface loadings of MWCNT on the surface are prepared and tested using a uniaxial tension tester, combined with a four point probe electrical test. In contrast with other works reporting inclusion of MWCNT in the bulk of the material, I have found that inclusion of the MWCNT on the surface only has no discernable effect on the mechanical properties of the PDMS samples, but causes a significant and repeatable change in the electrical performance. I have also found that a loading of 4.16 g/m2 results in an electrical resistivity of 7.31\\u038710-4 ohms\\u0387cm, which is 200% lower than that previously reported for bulk inclusion samples. The microstructure of the MWCNTs was found to consist of both individual fibers and spherical clumps of fibers. I suggest that, due to the microstructure of the MWCNTs used in this study, the mechanical properties can be modeled as a thin layer of particulates, while the electrical properties can be modeled as a thin bed of bulk MWCNTs.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Salzbrenner, Jeffrey"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Khraishi, Tariq","Apblett, Christopher","Shen, Yu-Lin"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-07-03T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-07-03T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:27:04Z","subjects":["Microfluidic devices--Materials","Nanocomposites (Materials)","Nanotubes","Polydimethylsiloxane."],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/me_etds/56"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/me_etds/56","href":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/me_etds/56","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1928/20784","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Khraishi, Tariq","Apblett, Christopher","Shen, Yu-Lin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Salzbrenner, Jeffrey"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters","Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Microfluidic devices--Materials","Nanocomposites (Materials)","Nanotubes","Polydimethylsiloxane."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1928/20784","https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/me_etds/56"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["I report on the study of the electrical and mechanical effects of the inclusion of a thin layer of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a method of creating an electrically actuated, flexible microfluidic valve. Samples of PDMS loaded with various surface loadings of MWCNT on the surface are prepared and tested using a uniaxial tension tester, combined with a four point probe electrical test. In contrast with other works reporting inclusion of MWCNT in the bulk of the material, I have found that inclusion of the MWCNT on the surface only has no discernable effect on the mechanical properties of the PDMS samples, but causes a significant and repeatable change in the electrical performance. I have also found that a loading of 4.16 g/m2 results in an electrical resistivity of 7.31\\u038710-4 ohms\\u0387cm, which is 200% lower than that previously reported for bulk inclusion samples. The microstructure of the MWCNTs was found to consist of both individual fibers and spherical clumps of fibers. I suggest that, due to the microstructure of the MWCNTs used in this study, the mechanical properties can be modeled as a thin layer of particulates, while the electrical properties can be modeled as a thin bed of bulk MWCNTs."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes surface-stamped on polydimethylsiloxane for microvalve actuation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Khraishi, Tariq","Apblett, Christopher","Shen, Yu-Lin"],"dc:creator":["Salzbrenner, Jeffrey"],"dc:description.abstract":["I report on the study of the electrical and mechanical effects of the inclusion of a thin layer of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a method of creating an electrically actuated, flexible microfluidic valve. Samples of PDMS loaded with various surface loadings of MWCNT on the surface are prepared and tested using a uniaxial tension tester, combined with a four point probe electrical test. In contrast with other works reporting inclusion of MWCNT in the bulk of the material, I have found that inclusion of the MWCNT on the surface only has no discernable effect on the mechanical properties of the PDMS samples, but causes a significant and repeatable change in the electrical performance. I have also found that a loading of 4.16 g/m2 results in an electrical resistivity of 7.31\\u038710-4 ohms\\u0387cm, which is 200% lower than that previously reported for bulk inclusion samples. The microstructure of the MWCNTs was found to consist of both individual fibers and spherical clumps of fibers. I suggest that, due to the microstructure of the MWCNTs used in this study, the mechanical properties can be modeled as a thin layer of particulates, while the electrical properties can be modeled as a thin bed of bulk MWCNTs."],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/1928/20784","https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/me_etds/56"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Microfluidic devices--Materials","Nanocomposites (Materials)","Nanotubes","Polydimethylsiloxane."],"dc:title":["Mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes surface-stamped on polydimethylsiloxane for microvalve actuation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters","Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Mechanical Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:27:04Z"}