Sensing Materials: Self-Sensing Materials

Self-sensing materials are relevant to multifunctional or smart structures, and robotics. This article emphasizes self-sensing structural materials, including polymer-matrix, cement-matrix and carbon-matrix composites. Composites without special additives are preferred, as they are used in existing structures. The attributes sensed include strain, stress, temperature and damage. The science and methodology of self-sensing are addressed. Self-sensing involves measuring the resistance or capacitance. Tomography is feasible. The science pertains to the effect of these attributes on the resistivity or permittivity. No embedded or attached sensor is involved. The electrodes are not sensors. Their contribution to the measured resistance or capacitance should be removed.