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Sanjay Gajanan Patil,
Arundhati S. Ninave,
- Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, G. S. College of Commerce, Wardha, Maharashtra, India
- Principal, Department of Commerce, G. S. College of Commerce, Wardha, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
Biodegradable sensing materials are needed for sustainable smart electricity metering, yet cellulose/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) systems lack a unified percolation and structure–property description. This study develops carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/SWCNT nanocomposite films by solution casting, with SWCNT loadings of 0.0–5.0 wt%, and evaluates their electrical, mechanical, thermal, sensing, and biodegradation behavior. Percolation analysis of the insulator-to-conductor transition gave a critical threshold (φc) of 0.9 ± 0.1 wt% and a critical exponent (β) of 2.71. The conductivity reached 24.8 S/cm at 5 wt%, the tensile strength rose from 38 to 117 MPa, and the temperature of maximum decomposition rate increased by 52 °C compared with pristine CMC. The gauge factor reached 83 at 5 wt%. Under ISO 20200 composting conditions, the mass loss after 60 days decreased from 92% to 62% as the SWCNT loading increased. An XGBoost model was applied to describe the non-linear dependence of conductivity and gauge factor on SWCNT loading, and benchmarking against 100 studies published between 2018 and 2025 placed the developed system in the 92nd percentile of overall performance. A loading of 1–2 wt% gives the best balance between electrical and sensing performance and biodegradability. The results provide a quantitative structure–property–performance framework and design guidance for biodegradable smart metering sensors.
Keywords: CMC composites; SWCNT; percolation theory; biodegradable electronics; smart metering sensors; polymer nanocomposites; structure–property relationships
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 | |
| 05 | ||
| Received | 10/06/2026 | |
| Accepted | 13/07/2026 | |
| Published | 08/10/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 120 Days |