Mar 28, 2007 15:13
Nikkei Electronics Asia
A soldier on
the battlefield, an athlete on the training track, a patient in the
home - and every aspect of their physiology remotely monitored by the
clothing they are wearing. The soldier can also remain invisible to
enemy radar.
In short, the ability to weave
new-technology threads of electronic wizardry into fabrics means that
the IQ of textiles is rising sharply. First-generation commercial
techniques for producing electronic textiles included impregnating
textiles with carbon, incorporating metal filaments. But this new
generation of "gifted garments" gets its brains from conductive
polymers, a special class of organic polymers capable of conducting
electricity.
This functionality is fragile,
however; these garments are repeatedly stretched and flexed,
particularly during wear and machine washing, and the fine polymer
filaments can break, cutting the vital circuits.Molecular
TemplatingNow scientists at Australia's
Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization
(CSIRO) and the University of Wollongong (UOW) have worked together to
overcome these limitations. They have done this by using a novel
molecular templating process for the preparation of electroconductive
textiles, which allows for the more seamless integration of electronic
functionality. This technique enables a degree of control on the level
of conductivity introduced, and provides improved stability to the
inherently conductive polymers (ICP) incorporated into the textile.
The process utilizes
conventional ICPs which are polymerized in the presence of a polymeric
molecular template. The template stabilizes the conducting polymer and
binds the systems to the fibers in the textile structure."Our patented technology enables
us to seamlessly integrate electrical functionality into textiles,"
said Peter Waters, CSIRO project leader, Electro-Conductive Textiles
Group. "Working with the University of Wollongong's Intelligent Polymer
Research Institute, we have jointly developed this molecular templating
technology, which overcomes a lot of the problems associated with the
use of electro-conductive polymers on textiles."The new-generation CSIRO/UOW
process results in a firm bond between the conducting polymer and the
fabric with the electronic circuitry tightly integrated into the
fabric, making it very resilient.Waters contends that the
embedded electronic functionality is more durable and more stable, and
is even capable of surviving the harsh environment of the domestic
washing machine.Unlimited
ApplicationsPractical applications for this
smart textile technology are almost limitless. Textiles produced using
the new process have the potential to incorporate an array of
communication devices, and to act as sensors for temperature, strain,
pressure, humidity, and chemical biosensing.For soldiers in the field
wearing such a "smart garment", the weight they carry is significantly
reduced as much of their communications technology is integrated into
their uniform. That same intelligent textile technology can also be
used to provide warmth in cold weather, and to monitor constantly their
physiology, the air they breathe - and even to render them invisible to
radar.Garments and other products
manufactured from these textiles could, however, make daily life
easier, healthier, safer and more comfortable for people in all walks
of life. They could also be used to provide a barrier to
electromagnetic radiation, as anti-static treatments, and for heating
and cooling.by Neil
Munro, Sydney
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A soldier on
the battlefield, an athlete on the training track, a patient in the
home - and every aspect of their physiology remotely monitored by the
clothing they are wearing. The soldier can also remain invisible to
enemy radar.
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