Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 26, 2025
05:40
Fabricating Cotton Analytical Devices
Published on: August 30, 2016
7.0K
Wash Testing of Electronic Yarn
Dorothy Anne Hardy1, Zahra Rahemtulla1, Achala Satharasinghe1
1The Advanced Textiles Research Group, School of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 19, 2020
Summary
Washable electronic yarns (E-yarns) show good durability, especially those with simple copper wire. Larger components reduce resilience, but E-yarns are suitable for washable textiles with design considerations.
Area of Science:
- Textile Engineering
- Materials Science
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Electronically active yarns (E-yarns) integrate electronic functions into textiles.
- Washability is crucial for consumer applications of smart textiles.
- Previous research has not comprehensively detailed E-yarn wash durability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the wash durability of various E-yarn constructions.
- To identify factors influencing E-yarn performance after washing.
- To determine the suitability of E-yarns for incorporation into washable textiles.
Main Methods:
- E-yarns were subjected to washing tests following a modified BS EN ISO 6330:2012 procedure 4N.
- Tests included machine washing with line drying and tumble drying.
- Functional performance of E-yarns (sensing, illumination) was assessed post-washing.
Main Results:
- E-yarns with only copper wire survived 25 wash-dry cycles (line dry) and 5-15 cycles (tumble dry).
- Temperature sensing E-yarns and LEDs maintained function after 25 line-dried cycles.
- E-yarns with larger micro-pods (e.g., acoustic sensors, embedded circuits) showed reduced wash resilience.
Conclusions:
- E-yarns demonstrate potential for washable smart textiles.
- Wash durability is dependent on the size of integrated electronic components and micro-pods.
- Minimizing micro-pod size is recommended to enhance E-yarn wash resilience.
