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Printable Stretchable Silver Ink and Application to Printed RFID Tags for Wearable Electronics
Tao Zhong1, Ning Jin2, Wei Yuan3
1Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Wave Information Technology and Metrology of Zhejiang Province, College of information Engineering, China Jiliang University (CJLU), Hangzhou 310018, China. tzhong2017@sinano.ac.cn.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 25, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed a printable, low-temperature sintered elastic silver ink for wearable electronics. This stretchable conductor technology enables durable Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags for practical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Conductive Inks
- Wearable Electronics
Background:
- Development of conductive materials for flexible and stretchable electronics is crucial.
- Existing materials often lack durability or require high-temperature processing.
- Need for reliable conductive inks for wearable applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a printable elastic silver ink sintered at low temperatures.
- To characterize the electrical and mechanical properties of the printed conductors.
- To demonstrate the application of the ink in fabricating functional Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags for wearable devices.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of a silver ink using silver flakes, dispersant, and fluorine rubber.
- Screen printing the ink onto stretchable fabric (lycra).
- Electrical resistivity measurements and mechanical testing (bending, stretching, cyclic endurance).
- Fabrication and testing of RFID tags.
Main Results:
- The printable elastic silver ink achieved a low resistivity of 21 μΩ·cm.
- Conductors exhibited reversible resistance changes upon stretching, with time-dependent conductivity recovery.
- RFID tags maintained high performance after 1000 stretching cycles.
- Successful demonstration of an RFID tag printed directly onto a T-shirt.
Conclusions:
- A novel printable elastic silver ink suitable for low-temperature sintering has been successfully developed.
- The ink demonstrates excellent stretchability and durability, making it ideal for wearable electronic applications.
- The developed technology enables the creation of robust and functional electronic components integrated into textiles.
