Elastomers and Composites

The Rubber Society of Korea (한국고무학회)
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Stretchable Carbon Nanotube Composite Clays with Electrical Enhancers for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting E-Skin Patches

  • Tae Uk Nam (Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Ngoc Thanh Phuong Vo (Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Jun Su Kim (Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Min Woo Jeong (Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kyu Ho Jung (Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Alifone Firadaus Nurwicaksono Adi (Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Jin Young Oh (Department of Chemical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University)
  • Received : 2022.12.22
  • Accepted : 2023.01.08
  • Published : 2023.03.31
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Abstract

Electronic skin (e-skin), devices that are mounted on or attached to human skin, have advanced in recent times. Yet, the development of a power supply for e-skin remains a challenge. A stretchable thermoelectric generator is a promising power supply for the e-skin patches. It is a safe and semi-permanent energy harvesting device that uses body heat for generating power. Carbon nanotube (CNT) clays are used in energy-harvesting e-skin patches. In this study, we report improved thermoelectric performance of CNT clays by using chemical doping and physical blending of thermoelectric enhancers. The n-type and p-type thermoelectric enhancers increase electrical conductivity, leading to increased power factors of the thermoelectric CNT clays. The blend of CNT clays and enhancers is intrinsically stretchable up to 50% while maintaining its thermoelectric property.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (Grant No. 2021R1C1C1009925, Grant No. 2020R1A6A1A03048004, and Grant No. 2019R1A6C101052), the grant from Kyung Hee University, Korea in 2019 (KHU-20190972), and funded by the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (No. 20015898, No. 20016252, and No. 20012710). This work was also supported by the Korea Institute for Advanced of Technology (KIAT) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea (No. P0017363).

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