Nanoparticles are promising modification materials that can be utilized to develop advanced insulations with good thermophysical and dielectric properties. However, nanoparticle dispersion detection methods are currently restricted in online and non-destructive measurements. Herein, we report a novel measurement system that utilizes a liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerator (LS-TENG) to detect the nanoparticle dispersion. The electric double layer model based characteristic at the liquid-solid interface enables the LS-TENG as an online probe to measure the nanoparticle equivalent capacitance (C_np) with ultra-high accuracy. Meanwhile, the particle sizes of different samples are measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS), whose results are combined to the calculated C_np, and they are commonly in the database. Integrated with the fuzzy evaluation algorithm, a nanoparticle dispersion detection system is utilized for the designated new samples detection, while the average particle size of nanoparticles can be eventually obtained by the optimum proximity degree of C_np. The average particle size detected by the system achieves good agreement with the SEM statistical results. Therefore, the nanoparticle dispersion measurement by LS-TENG is a feasible, low-cost, online nondestructive testing method, which has the potential to the application of online monitoring of nanoparticle dispersion in the engineering field.
 

triboelectric nanogenerator, nanoparticle dispersion, equivalent capacitance, fuzzy evaluation