Poly(butyl terephthalate) (PBT) is one of the most commonly used thermoplastics in the automotive or electronics industry due to its high mechanical properties and chemical resistance. To extend the applicability of this material, it is modified by introducing carbon fillers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphite. One of the application possibilities of modified PBT-based polymers is their use as sensors in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. This involves monitoring changes in the material's resistivity, which varies with deformation, allowing the detection of damage to composite components that is not visible to the naked eye.
In this study, polymer composites based on poly(butyl terephthalate) with the addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphite were manufactured. Materials in the form of thermoplastic strips were manufactured by extrusion moulding. Electrical conductivity, thermal diffusivity tests and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were conducted to characterise manufactured materials. The uniaxial tensile tests with simultaneous resistivity measurement were performed on the fabricated materials to verify the possibility of application as sensors.