Sensors for monitoring human body movements have gained much attention in the recent times especially in the health-care sector as these devices offer real-time monitoring of vital physiological signs, enabling health-care professionals to evaluate health conditions and provide remote feedback. In this work, we have fabricated carbon-nanotube (CNT)/ polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite sensor through simple dispersion and freezing method for monitoring flexion movements in humans. Sensors with different CNT loadings, namely 0.1 wt %, 0.5 wt %, and 1 wt % were fabricated and analyzed to find the best performing sensor. Several characterizations like Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile strength measurements, and piezoresistive studies were carried out to study the features of the sensors. Among the fabricated sensors, the one with the loading concentration of 0.5 wt% is found to be most sensitive for flexion applications with higher gauge factor of 533 at 60% strain level, response time of ~ 140 ms and lower hysteresis loss. The feasibility of the sensor for monitoring flexion like finger bending, wrist bending, elbow bending, and knee bending is also analyzed making it ideal for use in sports for athletes, physicians, and trainers to investigate physical performance and well-being.

The breakthrough behaviour of activated charcoal cloth samples against an oxygen analogue (OA) of sulphur mustard has been studied using the modified Wheeler equation. Activated charcoal cloth samples having different surface area values in the range of 481 to 1290 m2/g were used for this purpose. Breakthrough behaviour was found to depend on the properties of the activated charcoal cloth, properties of the OA and the adsorption conditions. Activated charcoal cloth with a high surface area of 1290 m2/g, relatively large surface density of 160 g/m2 and coarser fiber structure exhibited better kinetic saturation capacity value, 0.19 g/g, against OA vapours when compared to others, thus confirming its potential use in foldable masks for protection against chemical warfare agents.

Plastic deformation was observed by TEM around the intragranular SiC particles in the matrix for nanocomposite system. The dislocations are generated at selected planes and there is a tendency for the dislocations to form a subgrain boundary structure with low-angel grain boundaries and networks. In this study, dislocation generated in the matrix during cooling down from sintering temperatures by the highly localized thermal stresses within and/or around SiC particles caused from the thermal expansion mismatch between matrix and SiC particle was observed. In monolithic and microcomposite system. These phenomena is closely related to the plastic relaxation of the elastic stress and strain energy associated with both thermal misfitting inclusions and creep behaviors. The plastic relaxation behavior was explained by combination of yield stress and internal stress.