Electronic Textiles Have Great Potential

According to foreign media new atlas, due to the progress of materials and electronic technology, we are beginning to see that clothes may one day be more than just to keep warm or protect the human body from wind and rain. Scientists at Chalmers Polytechnic University have developed a new wire made of conductive cellulose, providing a convincing new example that can be processed into textiles to generate electricity for various purposes.

"Micro, wearable, electronic gadgets are becoming more and more common in our daily lives, but at present, they tend to rely on rare or, in some cases, toxic materials," said sozan darabi, PhD student in the Department of chemistry and chemical engineering at Chalmers Polytechnic University. This has also led to the gradual accumulation of e-waste. At present, there is a real need for organic and renewable materials for electronic textiles. "

Darabi and his team had some success in developing conductive fibers made from silk, but now they have turned their attention to cellulose, which has great application potential. The technique uses ink based on a conductive biocompatible polymer called PEDOT: PSS to dye lignocellulose lines. This "roll to roll" coating process turns wires into conducting wires, so that the team claims to have created cellulose wires with record high conductivity, which can be further improved by adding silver nanowires.

The resulting thread can be sewn into a fabric on a household sewing machine to produce thermoelectric textiles that generate electricity when heated on one side. For example, the team said the textile could produce about 0.2% at a temperature difference of 37 ℃ μ W of electricity.

"This cellulose thread can be made from non-toxic, renewable and natural materials into garments with built-in electronic and intelligent functions," sozan darab said

Such clothing can play a role in a number of areas, but scientists believe it has particular potential in the medical field, because it can be used to monitor different health indicators. The use of cellulose improves the recyclability of the finished product, although at present these lines can only withstand five machine washings without loss of conductivity.

"Cellulose is a magic material that can be extracted and recycled sustainably. In the future, we will see more and more applications of cellulose, and the recycling process will become easier and more efficient when the products are made of uniform materials or as few materials as possible. From another point of view, the application of cellulose thread in electronic textiles is very promising Christian m ü ller, who led the study, said.

(source: China Industrial Textiles Association)