Electrically Conductive Textile Coatings
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Electrically conductive textile coatings with PEDOT:PSS Maria Åkerfeldt Copyright © Maria Åkerfeldt Research School of Textiles and Fashion Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business University of Borås ISBN 978-91-87525-39-1 (tryckt) ISBN 978-91-87525-40-7 (pdf) ISSN 0280-381X, Skrifter från Högskolan i Borås, nr. 56 Printed in Sweden by Ale Tryckteam, Bohus 2015 ABSTRACT In smart textiles, electrical conductivity is often required for several functions, especially contacting (electroding) and interconnecting. This thesis explores electrically conductive textile surfaces made by combining conventional textile coating methods with the intrinsically conductive polymer complex poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). PEDOT:PSS was used in textile coating formulations including polymer binder, ethylene glycol (EG) and rheology modifier. Shear viscometry was used to identify suitable viscosities of the formulations for each coating method. The coating methods were knife coating, pad coating and screen printing. The first part of the work studied the influence of composition of the coating formulation, the amount of coating and the film formation process on the surface resistivity and the surface appearance of knife-coated textiles. The electrical resistivity was largely affected by the amount of PEDOT:PSS in the coating and indicated percolation behaviour within the system. Addition of a high-boiling solvent, i.e. EG, decreased the surface resistivity with more than four orders of magnitude. Studies of tear strength and bending rigidity showed that textiles coated with formulations containing larger amounts of PEDOT:PSS and EG were softer, more ductile and stronger than those coated with formulations containing more binder. The coated textiles were found to be durable to abrasion and cyclic strain, as well as quite resilient to the harsh treatment of shear flexing. Washing increased the surface resistivity, but the samples remained conductive after five wash cycles. The second part of the work focused on using the coatings to transfer the voltage signal from piezoelectric textile fibres; the coatings were first applied using pad coating as the outer electrode on a woven sensor and then as screen-printed interconnections in a sensing glove based on stretchy, warp-knitted fabric. Sensor data from the glove was successfully used as input to a microcontroller running a robot gripper. These applications showed the viability of the concept and that the coatings could be made very flexible and integrated into the textile garment without substantial loss of the textile characteristics. The industrial feasibility of the approach was also verified through the variations of coating methods. Keywords: Textile coating, conductive coating, conjugated polymers, ICP, PEDOT:PSS, textile properties, textile sensor, printed electronics, Smart textiles, poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) iii PREFACE The work included in this thesis was carried out between the years 2010-2012 at The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås (Borås, Sweden) and between the years 2013-2015 at the Materials department, Swerea IVF AB (Mölndal, Sweden). v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to: My supervisor Pernilla Walkenström, I wouldn’t have done any of this without you! My co-supervisors during the years: Weronika Rehnby (Naturskyddsföreningen) and Nils-Krister Persson (Smart Textiles) for initializing the project, Martin Strååt (Swerea IVF), for introducing me to the secrets of being a PhD student and Philip Gillgard (Swerea IVF), for your support and interest in my work. My present examiner, Vincent Nierstrasz (University of Borås), for your encouragement. My former examiner, Mikael Rigdahl (Chalmers University of Technology), for your curiosity. My mentors and colleagues: Anja Lund, for great inspiration, Veronica Malm, for (above all!) being a friend and Erik Nilsson, for fun collaboration. The skilled technicians and specialists that have helped me throughout my work (I hope I haven’t forgotten too many of you on this list): Maria Stawåsen, Catrin Tammjärv (University of Borås); Anders Kvist (Chalmers university of Technology); Ann Stare, Simonetta Granello, Desiré Rex, Marie-Louise Helgee, Eva Carlbom, Karin Christansen, Lars Eklund, Bengt Hagström and Hans Grönquist, (Swerea IVF). All of my great colleagues, both present and former, at Swerea IVF and The Swedish School of Textiles (University of Borås). The best friends in the world and my supportive family. And, for the financial support for this work: Sparbanksstiftelsen Sjuhärad, VINNOVA (through the Smart Textiles initiative) and University of Borås. Avhandlingen tillägnas särskilt Syster Yster, Zäta och Anita Dahrén. vi LIST OF APPENDED PAPERS I. Åkerfeldt, M., Strååt, M., & Walkenström, P. (2013). Electrically conductive textile coating with a PEDOT-PSS dispersion and a polyurethane binder. Textile Research Journal, 83(6), 618-627. doi: 10.1177/0040517512444330 II. Åkerfeldt, M., Strååt, M., & Walkenström, P. (2013). Influence of coating parameters on textile and electrical properties of a poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)/polyurethane-coated textile. Textile Research Journal, 83(20), 2164-2176. doi: 10.1177/0040517513487786 III. Åkerfeldt, M., Nilsson, E., Gillgard, P., & Walkenström, P. (2014). Textile piezoelectric sensors – melt spun bi-component poly(vinylidene fluoride) fibres with conductive cores and poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)- poly(styrene sulfonate) coating as the outer electrode. Fashion and Textiles, 1(1), 1-17. doi: 10.1186/s40691-014-0013-6 IV. Åkerfeldt, M., Lund, A., & Walkenström, P. Textile sensing glove with piezoelectric PVDF fibres and printed electrodes of PEDOT:PSS.Manuscript accepted for publication in Textile Research Journal, 2015. Conference proceedings (not included in the thesis): Åkerfeldt, M., & Strååt, M. (2011). A Rheological Study of a Textile Coating Paste Containing PEDOT:PSS. Paper/poster presented at the Nordic Rheology Conference, Helsinki, Finland. Åkerfeldt, M. (2013). The influence of ethylene glycol on the properties of electrically conductive textile coatings obtained with PEDOT:PSS. Paper/poster presented at the 13th AUTEX World Textile Conference, Dresden, Germany. Åkerfeldt, M. (2014). Towards sceen-printed electronics for smart textile applications with PEDOT:PSS. Paper/oral presentation presented at the 14th AUTEX World Textile Conference, Bursa, Turkey. vii CONTRIBUTION TO APPENDED PAPERS I. The author planned the experiments together with co-authors, conducted the experimental work, wrote the first draft of the article and finalized it together with the co-authors. II. The author planned and conducted the experimental work, wrote the first draft of the article and finalized it together with the co-authors. III. The author planned and conducted most of the experimental work; except for the fibre spinning that was conducted by Erik Nilsson, wrote most of the first draft of the article and finalized it together with the co-authors. IV. The author planned and conducted the experiments in collaboration with Anja Lund, wrote most of the first draft of the article and finalized it together with the co-authors. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ________________________________________________ iii List of appended papers ___________________________________vii Introduction _____________________________________________1 Aim _______________________________________________________2 Background _____________________________________________3 Textile coatings _____________________________________________3 Fabrics ________________________________________________________ 4 Coating methods_________________________________________________ 5 Conductive materials ________________________________________9 Metals ________________________________________________________ 12 Carbons ______________________________________________________ 13 Intrinsically conductive polymers (ICP) _____________________________ 13 Smart textiles ______________________________________________15 Sensing _______________________________________________________ 16 Interconnecting _________________________________________________ 17 Textile coatings with PEDOT:PSS __________________________19 Materials _________________________________________________19 Fabrics _______________________________________________________ 19 PEDOT:PSS ___________________________________________________ 19 Conductivity enhancer ___________________________________________ 21 Binders _______________________________________________________ 22 Rheology modifier ______________________________________________ 23 The coatings _______________________________________________25 Electrical resistance _____________________________________________ 25 Surface appearance/Microstructure _________________________________ 27 Textile mechanical properties _____________________________________ 29 ix Textile application _______________________________________34 Active fibre sensors _________________________________________34 Electroding ____________________________________________________ 34 Interconnection _________________________________________________ 36 Conclusions ____________________________________________38 Future work ____________________________________________40 References _____________________________________________41 x Introduction Most textiles consist of polymers with very low conductivity, their surface resistivity being typically ≥ 109 Ω/square1.