
Ground-breaking research has successfully created the world’s first truly electronic textile, using the wonder material Graphene
An international team of scientists, including Professor Monica Craciun from the University of Exeter, have pioneered a new technique to embed transparent, flexible graphene electrodes into fibres commonly associated with the textile industry.
The discovery could revolutionise the creation of wearable electronic devices, such as clothing containing computers, phones and MP3 players, which are lightweight, durable and easily transportable.
The international collaborative research, which includes experts from the Centre for Graphene Science at the University of Exeter, the Institute for Systems Engineering and Computers, Microsystems and Nanotechnology (INESC-MN) in Lisbon, the Universities of Lisbon and Aveiro in Portugal and the Belgian Textile Research Centre (CenTexBel), is published in the leading scientific journal Scientific Reports.
Professor Craciun, co-author of the research said: “This is a pivotal point in the future of wearable electronic devices. The potential has been there for a number of years, and transparent and flexible electrodes are already widely used in plastics and glass, for example. But this is the first example of a textile electrode being truly embedded in a yarn. The possibilities for its use are endless, including textile GPS systems, to biomedical monitoring, personal security or even communication tools for those who are sensory impaired. The only limits are really within our own imagination.”
At just one atom thick, graphene is the thinnest substance capable of conducting electricity. It is very flexible and is one of the strongest known materials. The race has been on for scientists and engineers to adapt graphene for the use in wearable electronic devices in recent years.
This new research has identified that ‘monolayer graphene’, which has exceptional electrical, mechanical and optical properties, make it a highly attractive proposition as a transparent electrode for applications in wearable electronics. In this work graphene was created by a growth method called chemical vapour deposition (CVD) onto copper foil, using a state-of-the-art nanoCVD system recently developed by Moorfield.
The collaborative team established a technique to transfer graphene from the copper foils to a polypropylene fibre already commonly used in the textile industry.
Dr Helena Alves who led the research team from INESC-MN and the University of Aveiro said: “The concept of wearable technology is emerging, but so far having fully textile-embedded transparent and flexible technology is currently non-existing. Therefore, the development of processes and engineering for the integration of graphene in textiles would give rise to a new universe of commercial applications. “
Dr Ana Neves, Associate Research Fellow in Prof Craciun’s team from Exeter’s Engineering Department and former postdoctoral researcher at INESC added: “We are surrounded by fabrics, the carpet floors in our homes or offices, the seats in our cars, and obviously all our garments and clothing accessories. The incorporation of electronic devices on fabrics would certainly be a game-changer in modern technology.
“All electronic devices need wiring, so the first issue to be address in this strategy is the development of conducting textile fibres while keeping the same aspect, comfort and lightness. The methodology that we have developed to prepare transparent and conductive textile fibres by coating them with graphene will now open way to the integration of electronic devices on these textile fibres.”
Dr Isabel De Schrijver,an expert of smart textiles fromCenTexBel said: “Successful manufacturing of wearable electronics has the potential for a disruptive technology with a wide array of potential new applications. We are very excited about the potential of this breakthrough and look forward to seeing where it can take the electronics industry in the future.”
Professor Saverio Russo, co-author and also from the University of Exeter, added: “This breakthrough will also nurture the birth of novel and transformative research directions benefitting a wide range of sectors ranging from defence to health care. “
Read more: Graphene holds key to unlocking creation of wearable electronic devices
The Latest on: Electronic textiles
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Electronic textiles” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Electronic textiles
- Foam fluidics showcase lab's creative approach to circuit designon July 24, 2024 at 4:46 pm
Engineers have shown that something as simple as the flow of air through open-cell foam can be used to perform digital computation, analog sensing and combined digital-analog control in soft ...
- Innovation On Display: Cinte Techtextil China Bids ‘Willkommen’ To Returning German Pavilion And Inspiring Fringe Eventson July 24, 2024 at 9:04 am
Reifenhauser Enka Tecnica – One of the world’s leading specialised providers of spinnerets and precision components to the man-made fibre industry. The company manufactures a broad spectrum of ...
- Government Slashes Customs Duties: Boosts Manufacturing and Exportson July 23, 2024 at 1:27 am
The government has reduced customs duties on various products like gold, silver, critical minerals, and electronics to lower input costs, enhance value addition, and promote export competitiveness.
- AT Expo: Striking The West Coaston July 18, 2024 at 11:44 am
A fter multiple iterations held in east coast cities, the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) is taking its Advanced Textiles (AT) Expo to the west coast for the 2024 edition. The expo will take place ...
- Beyond jewellery and textiles: India’s export basket undergoes a cultural shifton July 18, 2024 at 5:10 am
India’s quest to become a global powerhouse is fuelling a structural shift in its exports, with value-added and higher-earning electronics, engineering and pharmaceutical products elbowing out the ...
- The Rapid Expansion of the Smart Textiles Market by 2026on July 15, 2024 at 11:14 pm
With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.2%, the Smart Textiles Market is expected to rise from USD 2.3 billion in 2021 to USD 6.6 billion by 2026.
- Promise of helical circuits for e-textileson July 11, 2024 at 4:44 am
The circuitry within the 3D structure is twisted to form a helical ribbon enabling the strip to bend in multiple directions and stretch up to at least half its initial size again. Stretchability is ...
- Novel 3D stretchable electronic strip could spark new possibilities for wearable e-textileson July 3, 2024 at 7:25 am
Researchers have developed a novel 3D stretchable electronic strip which is expected to open up a range of new possibilities in wearable electronic textiles. A team at Nottingham Trent University ...
- New 3D stretchable electronic strip offers opportunities for wearable e-textileson July 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Researchers from Nottingham Trent University have developed a 3D stretchable electronic strip which could help to open up a range of new possibilities in wearable electronic textiles. The team, from ...
via Bing News