Method and Sensor for Load Detection and Method for Its Manufacture

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This invention introduces a hybrid nanocomposite material made from an intrinsically conductive polymer, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide, which is used to create a highly sensitive sensor for detecting mechanical loads, strains, and cracks in structural components. The sensor (often as a patch antenna) can wirelessly detect and transmit strain or load changes by monitoring shifts in its resonant frequency. The production method involves dispersing the nanomaterials ultrasonically and applying the composite as a thin film sensor layer on a dielectric substrate.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Structural health monitoring in civil engineering (bridges, buildings, transportation infrastructure) to detect strain, cracks, or fatigue.
• Embedded monitoring sensors for industrial machinery or automotive components to detect stress and prevent failure.
• Integration into smart materials for aerospace applications to provide real-time structural integrity data.
• Medical devices for mechanical stress/strain measurement, such as orthopedics or prosthetics.
• Environmental sensors for detecting changes in temperature, humidity, gases, or ionic content in various settings.
• Wireless sensing in robotics and flexible electronics requiring lightweight, highly sensitive load sensing.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• High sensitivity comparable to metal-based sensors, enabling detection of very small changes in strain or load (e.g., ~4 MHz/με).
• Wireless and passive operation reduces wiring complexity and allows remote sensing in inaccessible or hazardous environments.
• Multifunctionality – the sensor can detect not only mechanical load but also environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, gases, or ions.
• Miniaturization – compact sensor design and thin-film form enables integration in tight or complex spaces.
• Stable performance across a broad temperature range and high-frequency (microwave) environments.
• Customizable material formulation and sensor shape for specific application needs.
• Simple and adaptable manufacturing process using scalable nanocomposite techniques.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a hybrid nanocomposite material, to a sensor for detecting a load, and to a method for producing same, and the invention can be used in particular for measuring an expansion and detecting loads and cracks on components. The hybrid nanocomposite material according to the invention consists of nanomaterials in the form of a polymer with a high intrinsic conductivity, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide. The sensor has a base (3) with a dielectric substrate (2) which is arranged thereon and on which a sensor layer (1) is applied, said sensor layer being made of a tertiary hybrid nanocomposite material, wherein the hybrid nanocomposite material consists of a polymer with a high intrinsic conductivity, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide. According to the method, carbon nanotubes are connected to graphene oxide using an ultrasonic treatment in order to form a suspension in a first method step, and the suspension is subsequently mixed with an intrinsically conductive polymer and is then applied onto a substrate (2) as a sensor layer (1).