Fabrication and Measurement

This chapter describes the processes involved for the fabrication and measurement of graphite silicone composites (GSCs). Many of the processes are novel, having been developed at the University of Bath, and are explained in detail. Firstly, the composite mixing and curing methods are given. Then, the mounts that hold and enable electrical contact to the composite are described. This includes a description of the imprint lithography method, which holds much promise for future development of flexible GSC devices. Next, we discuss our development of naphthalene centered molecules that increase the miscibility of graphite in silicone. The measurement processes are all given, with special attention paid to the different bend-strain systems developed. The method for calculation of the bend induced strain is derived. Finally, the design and measurement process for a differential pressure array (DPA) is given in detail.