Design and 3D Printing of Stretchable Conductor with High Dynamic Stability

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Robotics

Background:

• Stretchable conductors are crucial for wearable devices and robotic arms, enabling reliable signal and energy transmission during large deformations.
• Developing conductors with high dynamic stability under mechanical stress remains a significant research challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel stretchable conductor with superior mechanical and electrical properties.
• To investigate the potential of combining numerical modeling, simulation, and 3D printing for advanced conductor development.

Main Methods:

• A linear bunch structure was designed using numerical modeling and simulation.
• The conductor was fabricated using 3D printing technology, creating an equiwall elastic insulating resin tube.
• The tube was filled with free-deformable liquid metal to create the conductive pathway.

Main Results:

• The resulting conductor exhibits high conductivity (>10⁴ S cm⁻¹).
• It demonstrates excellent stretchability with an elongation at break over 50%.
• The conductor shows remarkable tensile stability, with only a ~1% resistance change at 50% strain.

Conclusions:

• The developed stretchable conductor possesses excellent conductivity, stretchability, and stability.
• Demonstrated applications as a headphone cable and mobile phone charging wire highlight its practical potential.
• This technology offers a promising solution for next-generation wearable electronics and robotics.