Nanotechnology in Conductive Inks: Physical Performance Under Dynamic Mechanical Loading (Engineering Materials)

This book highlights the electrical, mechanical, and material characteristics of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) and carbon black (CB) nanocomposite conductive inks, developed for wearable electronics. These inks were printed on flexible substrates using four distinct patterns―straight, curved, square, and zigzag―and tested under cyclic bending, tensile, and torsional stress to simulate real-world wear and movement. An optimized ink formulation is introduced, reducing nanoparticle content to 20 wt.% GNP and 25 wt.% CB without compromising performance. This improved blend demonstrates enhanced conductivity and mechanical integrity. Among the tested patterns, the curved configuration consistently yielded the lowest resistivity and highest reliability, showcasing superior adaptability under deformation. While GNP-based inks revealed higher hardness and elastic modulus, they also exhibited increased brittleness, with failure occurring before 10,000 loading cycles. The study emphasizes the critical balance between durability and flexibility in the design of nanomaterial-based conductive inks. These findings offer valuable insights for advancing flexible, wearable electronic devices by tailoring material formulations and structural designs to meet specific application demands.

Dr. Mohd Azli Salim is a distinguished academic and researcher in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in vibro-nanotechnology, structural dynamics, and advanced materials. He holds a Ph.D. in Vibration Analysis. He is a TRIZ Level 3 Practitioner and Certified Instructor, as well as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng), Chartered Engineer (CEng MIMechE), ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE), and Professional Technologist (Ts.), recognized both locally and internationally. He currently serves as Head of Laboratory at the Advanced Academia-Industry Collaboration Laboratory (AiCL), Principal Researcher with the GReeT research group, and Visiting Professor at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Indonesia. His research covers finite element analysis, control engineering, nano-composites, vibration analysis, and electromagnetic energy harvesting.

Dr. Chonlatee Photong is an accomplished expert in power electronics and renewable energy systems. He began his career as a development engineer at Sony Device Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd., followed by a role as a maintenance engineer at Seagate Technology (Thailand). He obtained his Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK. Since then, he has served as a lecturer in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mahasarakham University, Thailand. His work focuses on battery technology, electric motor drives, and renewable energy systems.

Norhisham Ismail holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with a specialisation in Nanomaterials from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (2023). His doctoral research examined the formulation and characterisation of electrically and mechanically conductive graphene nanoplatelet ink patterns for flexible electronic and thermal management applications. He also holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (Automotive) and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology (Mechanical – Automotive). He is currently an R&D Engineer at Vgmatics Sdn. Bhd. and a part-time physics lecturer at UiTM Shah Alam.