Wearable, Washable Textile Devices Are Possible With MXene-Coated Yarns
October 16, 2019 | Drexel UniversityEstimated reading time: 6 minutes
But the researchers suggest that the ultimate advantage of using MXene-coated conductive yarns to produce these special textiles is that all of the functionality can be seamlessly integrated into the textiles. So instead of having to add an external battery to power the wearable device, or wirelessly connect it to your smartphone, these energy storage devices and antennas would be made of fabric as well — an integration that, though literally seamed, is a much smoother way to incorporate the technology.
“Electrically conducting yarns are quintessential for wearable applications because they can be engineered to perform specific functions in a wide array of technologies,” they write.
Using conductive yarns also means that a wider variety of technological customization and innovations are possible via the knitting process. For example, “the performance of the knitted pressure sensor can be further improved in the future by changing the yarn type, stitch pattern, active material loading and the dielectric layer to result in higher capacitance changes,” according to the authors.
Dion’s team at the Center for Functional Fabrics is already putting this development to the test in a number of projects, including a collaboration with textile manufacturer Apex Mills — one of the leading producers of material for car seats and interiors. And Gogotsi suggests the next step for this work will be tuning the coating process to add just the right amount of conductive MXene material to the yarn for specific uses.
“With this MXene yarn, so many applications are possible,” Gogotsi said. “You can think about making car seats with it so the car knows the size and weight of the passenger to optimize safety settings; textile pressure sensors could be in sports apparel to monitor performance, or woven into carpets to help connected houses discern how many people are home — your imagination is the limit.”
Suggested Items
AIM Solder Appoints Mhanny Aguillo as Southeast Asia Technical Sales Manager
05/31/2024 | AIMAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mhanny Aguillo as the Southeast Asia Technical Sales Manager.
Underconstraining Your Materials? Leave It to the Experts
05/30/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamWith traditional laminates now sporting improved resin systems, some OEMs are choosing various flavors of FR-4 instead of high-speed laminates for their high-speed designs—even RF applications. Avoiding overconstraining your materials in high-speed products can lead to considerable cost savings, not to mention a more streamlined trip through fabrication.
Elementary, Mr. Watson: Pushing Design Boundaries
05/29/2024 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonOverconstraint: What a concept. Our first thoughts would be: What are we hurting by overconstraining a design? Isn't it better to be safe than sorry? What is meant by overconstraint? It means to apply excessive constraints. In engineering and mathematics, it's used when there are too many simultaneous equations to result in an exact solution. For example, fitting a line to many points is overconstrained because a line cannot be drawn simultaneously through all of the points. In PCB design, overconstraints always occur, including dimensional, electrical, manufacturing, and timing constraints. The list goes on.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present at MiNaPAD 2024
05/27/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation’s Senior Global Product Manager for Semiconductor and Advanced Materials, Sze Pei Lim, will deliver two technical presentations at the 11th Micro/Nano-Electronics Packaging and Assembly, Design and Manufacturing (MiNaPAD) Forum, taking place June 19-20 in Grenoble, France.
Wearable Devices Get Signal Boost from Innovative Material
05/25/2024 | Rice UniversityA new material that moves like skin while preserving signal strength in electronics could enable the development of next-generation wearable devices with continuous, consistent wireless and battery-free functionality.