Integration of facile, thin, and flexible sensors is an emerging trend in production control and structural engineering. Among various sensors, highly porous cellulose-based printed sensors offer several advantages including biodegradability, versatility, flexibility, high sensitivity and chemically inert with minimal or no effect on the mechanical integrity of the structures. Printed cellulose sensors are suitable for determining the cross-linking reactions, moisture content, temperature and health monitoring of polymers, wood, composites and adhesives. However, it is vital to optimizing the paper type and printing parameters depending on the type of material and sensor functionality. This work demonstrates the potential application of cellulose-based printed sensors for their integration in polymers, composites and adhesives for various purposes. Sensors integrated into polymer matrix such as epoxy, phenol-formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde etc., allows real-time in-situ analysis of the cross-linking of the resin. The ability of cellulose-based sensors of tracking the real-time changes in the physical state or cross-linking of resin is an essential prerequisite for the production control of polymer composites, especially fiber-reinforced thermosets. Since, physical properties of the material hugely depend on the degree of cross-linking. On the other hand, integrated sensors are effectively used to monitor the humidity and temperature of the thermoplastic and thermoset polymer composite. For instance, the printed sensor on abaca paper is ideal for measuring the degree of cure of wood adhesives at various temperatures. Once the curing is completed, the integrated sensor was used to monitor the moisture content in wood. Cellulose-based sensors offer significant potential and are suitable for integration into structural components taking into consideration that it not only allows tracking of real-time data, but also ideal for minimal invasive integration.
Khalifa earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and his master’s degree in Design Engineering (M. Tech) from VTU in Karnataka, India. He went on to pursue his Doctorate degree (Ph.D.) from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India. His area of interest includes smart polymers, sensors and nanomaterials, with a particular interest in polymer technology, nanocomposites, and sensors for various applications. After completing his Ph.D., he served as a guest researcher at Wood-K plus, Austria. Currently, he is working as a Senior Researcher at Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH, Wood-K plus, Austria. In this role, he is managing several projects aimed at developing novel biomaterials and smarter lightweight constructions for aerospace and energy-related applications. He has authored numerous international journal articles, national and international conference proceedings, and book chapters. He is also a highly sought-after speaker, having delivered technical talks at several international conferences and invited as a guest lecturer in various institutions.
Share this page on your timeline