Sensing properties of carbon nanotube composite

Electrical methods of temperature monitoring offer the possibility to carry out measurements at single points. Known methods for the two-dimensional temperature monitoring need optical evaluation methods as well as sufficient space and are therefore costly or infeasible to integrate when space is not available. In order to simplify the two-dimensional temperature monitoring a thermal sensitive coating, which enables read-out by electrical signals, can be applied. Advanced composite materials consisting of nanoparticles and polymer binder show an electrical resistance which varies with temperature. These materials can be processed using standard methods and offer the possibility of a two-dimensional coating with thickness in the micrometer range without treating the substrate with high temperature. With such materials a flat temperature monitoring can be realised with the advantage of reduced weight and volume.