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Scalable Process to Develop Durable Conductive Cotton Fabric

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Abstract

Developing a scalable process is critical to manufacture conductive fabric for commercial applications. This paper describes a scalable coating process that is compatible with existing industrial finishing processes of fabrics. In this process, the fabric is continuously dipped in water-based metal salt and the reducing agent solution to impart conductive particles on the fiber surface. After 10 consecutive cycles of dip coating, the fabric shows 6 Ω/in. of resistance. The process is tuned to minimize process cost and material cost, and maximize the durability of the fabric. This paper also introduces an easy protective coating technique of the conductive fabric that improves the durability of the conductive fabric without sacrificing the comfort properties of textile fabrics such as breathability and flexibility. The encapsulated conductive fabric shows good air-permeability and it is 6.96 cm3/cm2/s. Moreover, the conductivity of the encapsulated fabric is quite stable after four accelerated washing cycles. Additionally, the fabric remains conductive on the surfaces and is suitable for using as a conductive track and connectors.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the research grant from Bangladesh University of Textiles, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bangladesh University of Textiles, Dhaka, 1208, Bangladesh

    Md. Abdullah Al. Mamun, Md. Touhidul Islam, Md. Momtaz Islam, Md. Afzal Hossain & Dewan Murshed Ahmed

  2. University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Kazi Sowrov

  3. Funxion Wear, Inc, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA

    Hasan Shahariar

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  1. Md. Abdullah Al. Mamun
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Correspondence to Hasan Shahariar.

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Mamun, M.A.A., Islam, M.T., Islam, M.M. et al. Scalable Process to Develop Durable Conductive Cotton Fabric. Adv. Fiber Mater. 2, 291–301 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-020-00051-x

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