A MOORA-Based Evaluation of Printed Conductive Fabrics for E-Textile Product Design

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) have gained significant importance due to their potential to enable wearable electronic systems. Conductive pathways in textiles can be fabricated using various approaches; among these, printing technologies stand out for their cost-effectiveness and suitability for rapid design customization. In this study, conductive patterns were produced on 100% cotton woven fabrics using rotary screen printing with different conductive paste formulations and printing layer configurations. The electrical resistance, fabric thickness, microscopic surface morphology, tensile strength, elongation, and tearing strength of the printed e-textiles were evaluated. Results indicated that resistance decreased with increasing printed track width and number of printed layers, with samples A4 and A5 exhibiting the highest conductivity. Thickness measurements and microscopic surface images showed that repeated printing increased layer build-up and surface coverage, particularly for A3 and A4. Mechanical performance tests revealed reductions in tensile strength, elongation, and tear strength after printing, attributed to restricted fiber mobility caused by the conductive paste and curing process. Despite these reductions, the mechanical property losses remained within acceptable limits for wearable applications. To determine the most suitable conductive textile for use in electronic textile product design, the Multi-Objective Optimization on the Basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA) method, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, was applied using mechanical performance criteria. Electrical resistance was evaluated separately as a functional performance indicator and interpreted together with the MOORA-based mechanical ranking. Considering both mechanical and electrical performance, sample A5 was identified as the optimal alternative. Overall, this study demonstrates that printed conductive textiles can be systematically evaluated and ranked using a multi-criteria decision-making approach for material selection in wearable electronics.