A Finite Element Analysis Approach to Explain Sensitivity Degradation in Force Sensing Resistors Based on Conductive Polymer Composites

<div>Some considered versions of the simplified “four-particle model.” <svg height="11.5564pt" id="M58" style="vertical-align:-2.26807pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 20.9515 11.5564" width="20.9515pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M548 455L523 469C505 448 490 439 461 439C416 439 374 447 316 447C144 447 23 310 23 161C23 47 89 -12 179 -12C312 -12 429 106 429 244C429 303 419 344 368 386L371 388C404 383 440 378 474 378C507 378 530 411 548 455ZM350 274C350 191 308 25 198 25C144 25 108 75 108 157C108 264 170 395 276 395C296 395 320 384 333 360C347 334 350 316 350 274Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,7.347,0)"><path d="M300 -147C201 -63 143 98 143 270S200 602 300 686L282 710C136 610 70 450 70 271V270C70 89 136 -72 282 -170L300 -147Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.845,0)"><path d="M324 430H196L233 583L223 592L145 529L120 430H54L29 396L31 388H111L56 126C33 15 54 -12 77 -12C137 -12 214 57 250 95L233 119C208 92 155 59 138 59C126 59 120 70 131 125L186 390L298 394L324 430Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,16.278,0)"><path d="M275 270C275 450 212 609 64 710L45 686C145 604 203 442 203 270S147 -63 45 -147L64 -170C213 -68 275 89 275 270Z"></path></g></svg> represents the dynamic cycling loading stress to exert on the FSR. As a function of it, <svg height="11.5564pt" id="M59" style="vertical-align:-2.26807pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 21.3952 11.5564" width="21.3952pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M352 391C352 416 319 448 267 448C236 448 173 423 147 400C107 364 96 332 96 304C96 248 143 210 193 181C241 153 258 124 258 100C258 72 232 38 184 38C151 38 107 66 81 108C77 114 64 116 55 111C34 99 23 84 23 65C23 29 81 -12 134 -12C220 -12 325 61 325 141C325 184 297 215 234 256C194 282 161 309 161 346C161 380 188 401 217 401C255 401 279 380 301 353C308 344 313 341 325 347C341 355 352 371 352 391Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,4.875,0)"><path d="M300 -147C201 -63 143 98 143 270S200 602 300 686L282 710C136 610 70 450 70 271V270C70 89 136 -72 282 -170L300 -147Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,9.373,0)"><path d="M548 455L523 469C505 448 490 439 461 439C416 439 374 447 316 447C144 447 23 310 23 161C23 47 89 -12 179 -12C312 -12 429 106 429 244C429 303 419 344 368 386L371 388C404 383 440 378 474 378C507 378 530 411 548 455ZM350 274C350 191 308 25 198 25C144 25 108 75 108 157C108 264 170 395 276 395C296 395 320 384 333 360C347 334 350 316 350 274Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,16.72,0)"><path d="M275 270C275 450 212 609 64 710L45 686C145 604 203 442 203 270S147 -63 45 -147L64 -170C213 -68 275 89 275 270Z"></path></g></svg> represents the interparticle separation. Blue lines represent a highly probable tunneling conduction path. <svg height="11.927pt" id="M60" style="vertical-align:-3.291101pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 11.4373 11.927" width="11.4373pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M697 650H468L461 623L492 619C539 613 547 605 518 546C481 471 367 264 278 116H276C239 278 197 500 186 567C180 604 185 613 226 619L252 623L260 650H24L17 623C78 617 92 613 108 533L216 -11H247C365 200 515 462 560 529C616 612 624 615 689 623L697 650Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,7.332,3.132)"><path d="M357 391C357 416 325 451 270 451C241 451 179 431 146 400C109 365 97 334 97 307C97 248 143 213 196 180C250 146 261 123 261 101C261 75 237 40 190 40C153 40 110 72 86 109C81 116 68 119 55 112C37 102 24 87 24 66C24 30 85 -12 137 -12C229 -12 331 62 331 140C331 189 304 218 236 260C197 284 164 309 164 346C164 381 194 400 220 400C259 400 282 380 304 350C310 342 321 339 330 344C347 353 357 372 357 391Z"></path></g></svg> is the sourcing voltage.</div>

Journal of Sensors

fig6

Figure 6

Figure 6: A Finite Element Analysis Approach to Explain Sensitivity Degradation in Force Sensing Resistors Based on Conductive Polymer Composites 