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17 pages, 3320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Stainless Steel Yarn with Embedded Surface Mounted Light Emitting Diodes

by Abdella Ahmmed Simegnaw, Benny Malengier, Melkie Getnet Tadesse and Lieva Van Langenhove

Materials 2022, 15(8), 2892; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15082892 - 14 Apr 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2565

Abstract

The integration of electronic components in/onto conductive textile yarns without compromising textile qualities such as flexibility, conformability, heat and moisture transfer, and wash resistance is essential to ensuring acceptance of electronic textiles. One solution is creating flexible and stretchable conductive yarns that contain [...] Read more.

The integration of electronic components in/onto conductive textile yarns without compromising textile qualities such as flexibility, conformability, heat and moisture transfer, and wash resistance is essential to ensuring acceptance of electronic textiles. One solution is creating flexible and stretchable conductive yarns that contain tiny surface-mounted electronic elements embedded at the fiber level. The purpose of this work was to manufacture and subsequently evaluate the physical features and electromechanical properties of stainless steel yarn with light-emitting surface mounted devices (SMDs) embedded in it. The SMDs were successfully integrated into a conductive stainless steel yarn (SS) by inserting crimp beads and creating a bond through hot air soldering machines, resulting in what we call an E-yarn. The relationship curves between gauge length and electrical resistance, and the relationship curves between conductive yarn elongation and electrical resistance, were explored experimentally. The results of the analysis demonstrated that E-yarn had a lower tensile strength than the original electrically-conductive SS yarn. The effects of the washing cycle on the conductivity of the E-yarn were also investigated and studied. The results showed that E-yarns encapsulated at the solder pad by heat shrink tube still functioned well after ten machine wash cycles, after which they degraded greatly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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14 pages, 5544 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Electronics to Textiles by Ultrasonic Welding for Cable-Driven Applications for Smart Textiles

by Sebastian Micus, Sahar Golmohammadi Rostami, Michael Haupt, Götz T. Gresser, Milad Alizadeh Meghrazi and Ladan Eskandarian

Materials 2021, 14(19), 5735; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14195735 - 1 Oct 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2985

Abstract

The connection between flexible textiles and stiff electronic components has always been structurally weak and a limiting factor in the establishment of smart textiles in our everyday life. This paper focuses on the formation of reliable connections between conductive textiles and conventional litz [...] Read more.

The connection between flexible textiles and stiff electronic components has always been structurally weak and a limiting factor in the establishment of smart textiles in our everyday life. This paper focuses on the formation of reliable connections between conductive textiles and conventional litz wires using ultrasonic welding. The paper offers a promising approach to solving this problem. The electrical and mechanical performance of the samples were investigated after 15 and 30 wash-and-dry cycles in a laundry machine. Here the contact resistances and their peeling strength were measured. Furthermore, their connection properties were analysed in microsections. The resistance of the joints increased more than 300%, because the silver-coated wires suffered under the laundry cycles. Meanwhile, the mechanical strength during the peeling test decreased by only about 20% after 15 cycles and remained the same after 30 cycles. The good results obtained in this study suggest that ultrasonic welding offers a useful approach to the connection of textile electronics to conductive wires and to the manufacture of smart textiles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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28 pages, 44932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multivariate Correlation Analysis of the Electroconductive Textiles Obtained Using Functionalization by Radio-Frequency Oxygen Plasma Treatments

by Raluca Maria Aileni, Laura Chiriac, Doina Toma and Irina Sandulache

Materials 2021, 14(19), 5609; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14195609 - 27 Sep 2021

Viewed by 1745

Abstract

This paper presents a study concerning the preliminary treatments in radiofrequency (RF)oxygen (O₂) plasma used to obtain a hydrophilic effect on raw cotton fabrics followed by electroconductive thin film deposition to obtain electroconductive textile surfaces. In addition, this study presents a [...] Read more.

This paper presents a study concerning the preliminary treatments in radiofrequency (RF)oxygen (O₂) plasma used to obtain a hydrophilic effect on raw cotton fabrics followed by electroconductive thin film deposition to obtain electroconductive textile surfaces. In addition, this study presents a multivariate correlation analysis of experimental parameters. The treatment using RF plasma O₂ aimed to increase the hydrophilic character of the raw fabric and adherence of paste-based polymeric on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix and nickel (Ni), silver (Ag) or copper (Cu) microparticles. The purpose of the research was to develop electroconductive textiles for flexible electrodes, smart materials using a clean technology such as radiofrequency (RF) plasma O₂ to obtain a hydrophilic surface with zero wastewater and reduced chemicals and carbon footprint. To achieve the foreseen results, we used advanced functionalization technologies such as RF plasma O₂, followed by scraping a thin film of conductive paste-based Ni, Ag or Cu microparticles, and multivariate correlation methods to observe the dependence between parameters involved (dependent and independent variables). Overall, the fabrics treated in plasma with O₂ using a kHz or MHz generator and power 100–200 W present an excellent hydrophilic character obtained in 3 min. After RF O₂ plasma functionalization, a thin film based on polymeric matrix PVA and Ni microparticles have been deposited on the fabric surface to obtain electroconductive materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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13 pages, 3355 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Nylon 6 Nanofiber Web-Based Signal Transmission Line Treated with PEDOT:PSS and DMSO Treatment

by Sungeun Shin, Eugene Lee and Gilsoo Cho

Materials 2021, 14(3), 498; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030498 - 21 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2248

Abstract

Highly conductive nylon 6 nanofiber webs, incorporating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), were prepared for textile-based signal transmission lines. To improve the electrical performance of the textiles, they were optimized by the number of coating cycles and the solvent treatment step. The [...] Read more.

Highly conductive nylon 6 nanofiber webs, incorporating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), were prepared for textile-based signal transmission lines. To improve the electrical performance of the textiles, they were optimized by the number of coating cycles and the solvent treatment step. The nanofiber web coated four times with PEDOT:PSS showed a six-times reduction in sheet resistance compared to that of once. In addition, the sample treated with both adding and dipping of DMSO showed a significant decrease of 83 times in sheet resistance compared to the sample without treatment of DMSO. Using samples with excellent electrical conductivity, the waveforms of the signal in the time domain were analyzed and shown to have an amplitude and phase almost identical to that of the conventional copper wire. As a result of the S21 characteristic curve, selected textiles were available up to the 15 MHz frequency bandwidth. In the FE-SEM image, it was observed that the surface of the coated sample was generally covered with PEDOT:PSS, which was distinguished from the untreated sample. These results demonstrate that the nanofiber web treated with the optimized conditions of PEDOT:PSS and DMSO can be applied as promising textile-based signal transmission lines for smart clothing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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16 pages, 14758 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soldering Electronics to Smart Textiles by Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser

by Sebastian Micus, Michael Haupt and Götz T. Gresser

Materials 2020, 13(11), 2429; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13112429 - 26 May 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4182

Abstract

Experts attest the smart textiles market will have high growth potential during the next ten years. Laser soldering is considered to be a good contacting method because it is a contactless process. For this reason, it is intended to investigate the contacting process [...] Read more.

Experts attest the smart textiles market will have high growth potential during the next ten years. Laser soldering is considered to be a good contacting method because it is a contactless process. For this reason, it is intended to investigate the contacting process of printed circuit boards (PCB) to isolated conductive textile strips by means of a ytterbium-doped fiber laser (1064 nm). During the investigation, the copper strands in the textile tape were stripped by the laser and soldered to the PCB without any transport of the textile. Therefore, we investigated different sets of parameters by means of a design of experiment (DoE) for different types of solder pastes. Finally, the joinings were electrically analyzed using a contact resistance test, optically with a REM examination, and mechanically using a peeling test. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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Review

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19 pages, 3279 KiB

Open AccessReview

Comfort Evaluation of Wearable Functional Textiles

by Melkie Getnet Tadesse, Carmen Loghin, Ionuț Dulgheriu and Emil Loghin

Materials 2021, 14(21), 6466; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14216466 - 28 Oct 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5443

Abstract

Wearable E-textile systems should be comfortable so that highest efficiency of their functionality can be achieved. The development of electronic textiles (functional textiles) as a wearable technology for various applications has intensified the use of flexible wearable functional textiles instead of wearable electronics. [...] Read more.

Wearable E-textile systems should be comfortable so that highest efficiency of their functionality can be achieved. The development of electronic textiles (functional textiles) as a wearable technology for various applications has intensified the use of flexible wearable functional textiles instead of wearable electronics. However, the wearable functional textiles still bring comfort complications during wear. The purpose of this review paper is to sightsee and recap recent developments in the field of functional textile comfort evaluation systems. For textile-based materials which have close contact to the skin, clothing comfort is a fundamental necessity. In this paper, the effects of functional finishing on the comfort of the textile material were reviewed. A brief review of clothing comfort evaluations for textile fabrics based on subjective and objective techniques was conducted. The reasons behind the necessity for sensory evaluation for smart and functional clothing have been presented. The existing works of literature on comfort evaluation techniques applied to functional fabrics have been reviewed. Statistical and soft computing/artificial intelligence presentations from selected fabric comfort studies were also reviewed. Challenges of smart textiles and its future highlighted. Some experimental results were presented to support the review. From the aforementioned reviews, it is noted that the electronics clothing comfort evaluation of smart/functional fabrics needs more focus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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27 pages, 3501 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Review on the Integration of Microelectronics for E-Textile

by Abdella Ahmmed Simegnaw, Benny Malengier, Gideon Rotich, Melkie Getnet Tadesse and Lieva Van Langenhove

Materials 2021, 14(17), 5113; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14175113 - 6 Sep 2021

Cited by 61 | Viewed by 7239

Abstract

Modern electronic textiles are moving towards flexible wearable textiles, so-called e-textiles that have micro-electronic elements embedded onto the textile fabric that can be used for varied classes of functionalities. There are different methods of integrating rigid microelectronic components into/onto textiles for the development [...] Read more.

Modern electronic textiles are moving towards flexible wearable textiles, so-called e-textiles that have micro-electronic elements embedded onto the textile fabric that can be used for varied classes of functionalities. There are different methods of integrating rigid microelectronic components into/onto textiles for the development of smart textiles, which include, but are not limited to, physical, mechanical, and chemical approaches. The integration systems must satisfy being flexible, lightweight, stretchable, and washable to offer a superior usability, comfortability, and non-intrusiveness. Furthermore, the resulting wearable garment needs to be breathable. In this review work, three levels of integration of the microelectronics into/onto the textile structures are discussed, the textile-adapted, the textile-integrated, and the textile-based integration. The textile-integrated and the textile-adapted e-textiles have failed to efficiently meet being flexible and washable. To overcome the above problems, researchers studied the integration of microelectronics into/onto textile at fiber or yarn level applying various mechanisms. Hence, a new method of integration, textile-based, has risen to the challenge due to the flexibility and washability advantages of the ultimate product. In general, the aim of this review is to provide a complete overview of the different interconnection methods of electronic components into/onto textile substrate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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38 pages, 5252 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Lignocellulosic Biomass-Derived Carbon Electrodes for Flexible Supercapacitors: An Overview

by Wenxin Hu, Ruifang Xiang, Jiaxian Lin, Yu Cheng and Chunhong Lu

Materials 2021, 14(16), 4571; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164571 - 14 Aug 2021

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4332

Abstract

With the increasing demand for high-performance electronic devices in smart textiles, various types of flexible/wearable electronic device (i.e., supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells, etc.) have emerged regularly. As one of the most promising wearable devices, flexible supercapacitors from a variety of electrode materials have [...] Read more.

With the increasing demand for high-performance electronic devices in smart textiles, various types of flexible/wearable electronic device (i.e., supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells, etc.) have emerged regularly. As one of the most promising wearable devices, flexible supercapacitors from a variety of electrode materials have been developed. In particular, carbon materials from lignocellulosic biomass precursor have the characteristics of low cost, natural abundance, high specific surface area, excellent electrochemical stability, etc. Moreover, their chemical structures usually contain a large number of heteroatomic groups, which greatly contribute to the capacitive performance of the corresponding flexible supercapacitors. This review summarizes the working mechanism, configuration of flexible electrodes, conversion of lignocellulosic biomass-derived carbon electrodes, and their corresponding electrochemical properties in flexible/wearable supercapacitors. Technology challenges and future research trends will also be provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textile Materials and Fabric-Based Wearable Devices)

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