TEXTILES.ORG
New research from Washington State University has demonstrated a particular 3D ink printing method for smart fabrics that performs well after repeated washing and abrasion tests. The research, published in the journal ACS Omega, represents a breakthrough in smart fabric comfort and durability, as well as using a process that is more environmentally friendly.
Hang Liu, a textile researcher at WSU and the corresponding author of the paper, says, “If you are wearing a T-shirt with 3D printed material, for example for sensing purposes, you want this shirt to fit snugly on your body and be flexible and soft. If it is stiff, it will not be comfortable and the sensing performance will be compromised.”
Initial methods of developing smart wearables involved gluing, weaving or sewing functional components, such as conductive threads or sensors into fabrics. Newer approaches involving printing have shown promise but have still faced problems with comfort and maintenance.
Liu’s team used direct ink writing 3D printing technology to print solutions of polybutylene succinate—a biodegradable polyester that is compatible with natural fibers—containing carbon nanotubes, onto two types of fabric. The printed fabrics showed excellent electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, gauge factor and stability under repeated strains, and the solution’s ability to penetrate and bond with fibers gave the fabrics an enhanced washability and resistance to abrasion.
They tested printed fabrics for tensile strength, electrical conductivity, their ability to function as motion sensors, and other qualities and found the fabrics continued to perform well after 20 cycles of washing and drying, and the surfaces did not scratch or crack after 200 cycles of abrasion testing or 500 cycles of tensile cyclic testing. The team also used a biodegradable, nontoxic solvent, Cyrene, for processing, which is more environmentally friendly than commonly used toxic solvents.
SOURCE: Washington State University.