Printed Graphene, Nanotubes and Silver Electrodes Comparison for Textile and Structural Electronics Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• The rise of smart textiles and wearable electronics necessitates reliable electro-conductive paths on fabric substrates.
• Screen printing offers a viable method for creating these conductive pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test electro-conductive paths on textiles using screen-printed pastes.
• To evaluate the performance of these paths, focusing on adhesion and durability under various conditions.

Main Methods:

• Screen printing of pastes containing silver nanoparticles and various carbon fillers (graphene, nanotubes, graphite) onto aramid fiber fabric.
• Adhesion testing of the printed paths.
• Surface resistance measurements before and after standardized washing and bending cycles.

Main Results:

• Samples utilizing 3% carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by weight in a PMMA binder on a 260 g/m² aramid fiber substrate exhibited superior adhesion.
• These CNT-based paths demonstrated the best resistance to both washing and bending cycles compared to other carbon fillers.
• Surface resistance remained stable across tested samples, indicating good conductivity retention.

Conclusions:

• Electro-conductive paths created with specific carbon nanotube formulations provide excellent adhesion and durability for textile applications.
• These findings support the use of such conductive paths in the development of advanced smart clothing and wearable electronic devices.