Electrical resistance measurement of RuO2 dispersed glass composites during tensile loading

Electrical conductive composites, in which RuO2 particles are dispersed throughout a glass matrix, have been successfully fabricated by sintering at 850 °C. The sensing efficacy of conductive glass matrix composites was investigated in real time by subjecting samples to tensile tests and measuring its electrical resistance. The electrical resistance change increased remarkably with increasing strain. It is shown that the excellent sensitivity of the electrical resistance change in the low strain range is attributed to microbreakage or deformation of conduction paths between RuO2 particles due to brittle fracture of the glass matrix. The electrical resistance behavior during cyclic loading is characterized by a residual electrical resistance that increases with each load cycle.