Biodegradable Comb Sensor Based on 3D Printed Conductive Polylactic Acid

This paper deals with the development of a biodegradable humidity and water level comb sensors (interdigital capacitive sensors) based on conductive 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) filament. The paper explores the sensors' design, fabrication process, and measurements of the capacitance of the realized comb sensors. Various dimensions of comb sensors (width of the sensors, width and thickness of electrodes and the width of isolation gaps as well) have been tested and analyzed during experiments. The practical testing and measurements have been carried out by using the Arduino UNO board under different conditions. The tested comb sensors were applied and analyzed as a standard humidity sensor for detect the presence of moisture and as a water level sensor. The 3D printed PLA based sensor demonstrates exceptional sensitivity and stability in monitoring humidity levels, making it a promising solution for applications in sustainable and environmentally friendly applications. This research not only contributes to the field of humidity sensing but also highlights the potential of 3D printed biodegradable sensors for a wide range of applications in sustainable and green technology.