A new measuring method for the conductivity of smart textiles

 

A joint research team with scientists from Leibniz IPHT, Philipps University Marburg, Germany, and Brown University, Providence, USA has developed a new method to measure the electrical conductivity of thin layers on smart textiles with precision. The method uses terahertz radiation as a contact-free alternative to analyse coatings and identify material defects quickly.

Smart textiles, which are integrated into medical technology or clothing as sensors or energy sources, play an important role in our networked world. At the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) in Jena/Germany, innovative textiles such as energy-converting solar fabrics, thermoelectric generators, optical and thermal sensors or cooling materials that require special conductive coatings are being developed.

The researchers want to optimize the coating process through collaboration with the Philipps University. The new terahertz-based method makes it possible to measure the electrical conductivity of the thin layers precisely, contact-free and with spatial resolution. In this way, sensitive materials can be analysed without damaging them.

Terahertz radiation, which lies between infrared and microwave radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum, provides valuable insights into the structure and electrical properties of materials. Terahertz measurements can even be used to detect defects in the conductive layers before they affect the function of the textiles.

Two materials, silver and indium tin oxide (ITO) were tested using this method. These materials are often used as conductive and transparent coatings for textiles. Using terahertz technology, they were able to precisely delineate the conductivity and identify defective areas that are difficult to detect using traditional methods.

This method could drive the development of more durable and reliable smart textiles and enable major advances in medical technology and protective clothing in particular. However, other sectors such as the automotive industry or the wearables sector could also benefit. The technology is to be further developed so that it can be used for industrial real-time quality control of smart textiles.

Source: Leibniz IPHT
This article was first published on textiletechnology.net

Caption: PhD student Alexander Jäckel uses electromagnetic radiation in the laboratory to investigate the structure and electrical properties of textiles (Image: Martin Koch, Leibniz-IPHT).

www.leibniz-ipht.de/en

<< view all news