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NEWS ARCHIVE: LESS RECENT & MORE POPULAR ARTICLES
from our "CONNECTIONS"
page
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Capacitive Fabrics Are Creating
Batteries You Can Wear
As wearable devices become more and more
numerous, they are going to need convenient new power sources so we
don’t have dozens of chargers plugged in around our homes. The efforts
toward pursuing a solution to this problem generally fall into two areas:
means of generating, or harvesting energy on the go, and a way of storing
that energy that goes beyond what we think of as batteries today.
A team at Drexel University has developed a
"capacitive yarn" essentially tranforms fabric into an energy
storage device by embedding functional materials into textile fibers at the
molecular level. This was made possible through a process called natural
fiber welding (NFW), which was developed by Paul C. Trulove at the US Naval
Academy, who collaborated on the project. more
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Nanotube Fibers May Restore Electrical
Health To Damaged Hearts And Disrupted Brain Communication
The Texas Heart Institute (THI) and Rice
University — both Houston-based, have jointly received a prestigious
American Heart Association grant. The three-year, $750,000 grant will support
THI and Rice researchers in a study and test of soft, flexible fibers made of
carbon nanotubes. The scientists say these fibers’ ability to bridge
electrical gaps in tissue is a groundbreaking discovery that offers new hope
to millions of people affected by cardiac arrhythmias — that is, any
irregularity in the heart’s natural rhythms. Read more
also here
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Super-stretchy fibers made by wrapping
carbon nanotubes around rubber
(Nanowerk News) An international research
team based at The University of Texas at Dallas has made electrically
conducting fibers that can be reversibly stretched to over 14 times their
initial length and whose electrical conductivity increases 200-fold when
stretched. Read more.
Be
sure to watch the video, and more here. .
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Conductive Composites
Nate Hansen and George Hansen owners and
founders of Conductive Composites gave the group a tour of their
manufacturing line and described how they manufacture shielded wire and other
things. They reinforce plastic with carbon fiber which increases the strength.
Conductive Composites makes materials that shield digital electronics from
outside electronic signals. Conductive Composites is currently in the process
of moving a manufacturing line from the Green River plant to the Cleveland
plant. The
article
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Researchers Fabricate Electrically
Conductive Nanocomposite Laminate with Less Graphene Loading
Researchers at the Department of
Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new
method for commercial-scale fabrication of graphene. This could lead to
significant advances in flexible electronics, and could possibly change the manner
in which graphene is viewed and utilized. The story
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Tiny wires could provide a big energy
boost
Yarns of niobium nanowire can make
supercapacitors to provide a surge of energy when it’s needed. By
David L. Chandler | MIT News Office more
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Fibers Made by Transforming Materials
This is the kind of thing that excites some
of our members and keeps us going--ed.
New approach could enable low-cost silicon devices in fibers that could be
made into fabrics.
more
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New technology using silver may hold key
to electronics advances
Engineers at Oregon State University have
invented a way to fabricate silver, a highly conductive metal, for printed
electronics that are produced at room temperature. read
more
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Google Wants You to Control Your Gadgets
with Finger Gestures, Conductive Clothing
New Google technology addresses the tiny
screen problem by letting you control wearables with tiny gestures, or by
touching your clothes. Read
it here
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Conductive Fiber Used for Google Pocket
Mouse
The Council is prod to share a major use of
conductive fiber:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2928814/hands-on-googles-project-jacquard-plans-to-turn-your-jacket-into-a-trackpad.html
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Unlocking the creation of wearable
electronic devices
An international team of scientists, including
Prof. Monica Craciun from the Univ. of Exeter, have pioneered a new technique
to embed transparent, flexible graphene electrodes into fibers commonly
associated with the textile industry. The discovery could revolutionize
the creation of wearable electronic devices, such as clothing containing
computers, phones and MP3 players, which are lightweight, durable and easily
transportable. more
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Top 9 Things You Didn’t Know about
Carbon Fiber, Source: DOE
The next generation of carbon fiber composites
could reduce passenger car weight by 50 percent and improve fuel efficiency
by about 35 percent without compromising performance or safety — an
advancement that would save more than $5,000 in fuel over the life of the car
at today’s gasoline prices. Read more
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ORNL demonstrates first large-scale
graphene fabrication
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 14, 2015 -- One of the
barriers to using graphene at a commercial scale could be overcome using a
method demonstrated by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge
National Laboratory.
Graphene, a material stronger and stiffer than
carbon fiber, has enormous commercial potential but has been impractical to
employ on a large scale, with researchers limited to using small flakes of
the material. more
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Microcombing Could Make Carbon Nanotube Films Stronger And More
Conductive
Microcombing could lead to carbon nanotube
(CNT) films that are stronger and more conductive than current manufacturing
techniques allow. This technology aligns nanotubes into more durable sheets
that could hasten the day when they are widely used in aerospace as well as
the development of new electronic devices. read more
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Rice University lab extends meniscus-mask process to make sub-10
nanometer paths
Water is the key component in a Rice
University process to reliably create patterns of metallic and semiconducting
wires less than 10 nanometers wide.
The technique by the Rice lab of chemist James
Tour builds upon its discovery that the meniscus – the curvy surface of
water at its edge – can be an effective mask to make
nanowires. - See
more
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President Obama Launches Competition for New Textiles-Focused
Manufacturing Innovation Institute; New White House Supply Chain Innovation
Initiative; and Funding to Support Small Manufacturers
In Cleveland, Ohio, the President launches
ninth manufacturing hub competition and announces measures to strengthen the
small manufacturers that power America’s supply chains.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today the
President is announcing nearly $500 million in public-private investment to
strengthen American manufacturing by investing in cutting-edge technologies
through a new, textiles-focused manufacturing institute competition led by
the Department of Defense, and by sharpening the capabilities of small
manufacturers through Manufacturing Extension Partnership competitions in
twelve states. The White House, as detailed in a new report, is also
launching a Supply Chain Innovation Initiative focused on building
public-private partnerships to strengthen the small U.S. manufacturers that
anchor the nation’s supply chains.
The President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget,
to create jobs and strengthen America’s leadership in advanced
manufacturing technology, provides the resources to double the number of
manufacturing innovation institutes nationwide to 16 by the end of 2016 and
fulfills the President’s goal of building a network of up to 45
institutes over the decade. In contrast, the House Republican Budget released
yesterday entrenches the harmful sequester levels of funding and proposes to
eliminate the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, putting at risk critical
investments in advanced manufacturing, workforce development and training,
and innovation proposed in the President’s Budget. more
ALSO more information here
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Energy Generating Cloth Invented: Wearable Triboelectric
Nanogeneration
Scientists have successfully tested
energy-generating cloth that could be used to charge wearable technologies
such as smart watches and personal electronics - meaning you could soon be
charging your mobile phone as you walk. read
more
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Explore the Radical New Enabling Technologies Behind Wearable
Technology.
Europe's biggest wearable technology event
exploring the upcoming technologies and their market drivers.
Wearable Technology Europe - 28-29 April 2015
| Berlin, Germany
If you seek to understand the driving trends,
what is needed next and the state-of-the art technology developments, take a
look at the event at www.IDTechEx.com/wteurope.
Spaces are limited to ensure balance between fashion brands and suppliers.
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Cornell student designs maternity clothes that would monitor the
mother's health
THACA, N.Y -- Mothers-to-be spend a lot of
time wondering about their health and the health of their baby.
A line of maternity clothing designed by a
Cornell University student would provide real-time data to pregnant women and
their doctors.
Blake Uretsky, a Pittsburgh-area senior at
Cornell who is studying fiber technology, won a $30,000 scholarship from
fashion designer Geoffrey Beene for her designs, according to the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. more
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New Fibers Could Lead to a More ‘Natural’ Neuroprosthesis
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology have created a new complex multimodal fiber system that may be
able to transmit drugs, light and electrical signals to the brain, according
to a paper published in Nature Biotechnology. Polina Anikeeva, PhD,
professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering stated the
fibers could ultimately be used for precision mapping of responses of
different regions of the brain or spinal cord, resulting in a new type of
neuroprosthesis. more
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Integral, Conductive Composites developing nickel-plated CF capacity
Integral Technologies Inc. and longtime
supplier Conductive Composites Co. LLC have signed a memorandum of
understanding for dedicated nickel-plated carbon fiber manufacturing
capability.
Integral will supply equipment, and Conductive
Composites will start a separate manufacturing line in a new facility in a
to-be-identified location for production of conductive fibers that
Integral’s wholly owned subsidiary ElectriPlast Corp. proposes using in
potentially metal-replacing polymer and composite products for
electromagnetic shielding applications.
source
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Wearable technology: a materials goldmine
By Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx
www.IDTechEx.com
In 2025 over $25 billion will be spent on
formulations and intermediate materials for wearable technology, as forecast
by analysts IDTechEx in the brand new report "Wearable Technology Materials 2015-2025". Companies at this early part of the value chain
will enjoy a multiplier over the coming decade. They will participate in a
rapidly growing market and they will take a greater percentage of it as some
other parts of the value chain are eliminated. This is not because e-fibers
will be used to create e-textiles from bandages to apparel. That is a longer
term prospect. Instead, it is a matter of making today's devices differently.
They need to be made smaller, flexible, more comfortable, often invisibly hidden
in or under clothing or transparent. Other items in the wish list will
sometimes include being implantable, disposable and a frequent request is
that they should never be short of electricity. Indeed, power running out
after a few hours, a common inadequacy today, can be life threatening with
exoskeletons and medical e-patches and dangerous with planned glucose-
indicating contact lenses and wristbands for severe diabetics.
In most cases, the only way forward is to
abandon the 100 year old "components in a box" approach of almost
all manufacturers of wearable technology today. Instead, we shall use
structural electronics where smart materials are key. This will be a
cornucopia for manufacturers of electronic and electrically functional
materials that can be made into structures using those increasingly crucial
intermediate materials.
However, this industry needs to prioritise and
de-risk its future investments and analysts IDTechEx has now provided the
tools to do this. Its report, "Wearable Technology Materials 2015-2025" finds large opportunities for organics, inorganics
and composites. It tackles prioritisation in different ways. First it looks
at which materials are low risk because they are useful in many different
ways. For example, polyvinylidene difluoride is electrically a gymnast of
chemicals. It and its derivatives can be electret microphone, ferroelectric
memory, piezoelectric energy harvester and much more besides.
Then IDTechEx has looked at the prevalence of
different formulations that are being used in planned integrated devices for
the future. For example, there is great interest in lithium, indium and
titanium salts across a broad sweep of functionality. III-V compounds feature
strongly in next generation products such as flexible displays and
photovoltaics for low light conditions. Carbon allotropes are very broadly
researched for wearables and allied markets but there is not much on C60
buckyballs. Graphene is of more interest for future batteries,
supercapacitors, flexible displays and so on.
Most of the world's leading companies making
primary and intermediate materials will be using IDTechEx prioritisation
tools to capture a major share of this large new market. There are also many
niche opportunities for smaller players such as those specialising in the
chemistry of tungsten or tantalum, where many new uses are emerging.
Similarly, although fluorocarbons have large potential, there are plenty of
niche opportunities for other organics and some very big ones. IDTechEx
counsels that many new morphologies and formats are needed from electronic
printing inks to metal feedstock for the new higher speed, lower cost 3D
printing. These challenges with the new formulations identified reduce
competition and open up opportunities for premium pricing.
Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman,
IDTechEx +44 (0)1223 812300 p.harrop@IDTechEx.com
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Tiny Clothing Wires to Ward Off the Big Chill
Everyone is talking about it. One of
the big reasons we exist (editor)
Nanotechnology specialists promise clothing
that keeps more heat in. WSJ
and
ACS
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Anisotropic conductive films based on highly aligned polyimide fibers
containing hybrid materials of graphene nanoribbons and carbon nanotubes
Electrospun polyimide-graphene
nanoribbons/carbon nanotubes fiber membranes exhibit anisotropic electrical
conductivity of 6 orders of magnitude in parallel and perpendicular
directions along the fiber alignment. citation
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Rice University Again: Researchers' acid-free approach
leads to strong conductive carbon threads
The single-walled carbon nanotubes in new
fibers created at Rice line up like a fistful of uncooked spaghetti through a
process designed by chemist Angel Martí and his colleagues.
The tricky bit, according to Martí,
whose lab reported its results this month in the journal ACS Nano, is keeping
the densely packed nanotubes apart before they're drawn together into a
fiber.
Left to their own devices, carbon nanotubes
form clumps that are perfectly wrong for turning into the kind of strong,
conductive fibers needed for projects ranging from nanoscale electronics to
macro-scale power grids. Read more
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New Report on State of the Industry: E-Textiles: Electronic
Textiles 2014-2024
Compared to today's wearable electronics, for
example, there is less opportunity to use true e-textiles for infotainment
but more for fashion. However, both involve huge opportunities in the merging
healthcare, medical, fitness and wellness sector. Winners will not be those
currently dominating mobile phones and similar devices who are taking
leadership in smart glasses, wristbands, headware etc., but the many
start-ups, fashion houses, medical electronics companies and so on. Europe
will be a strong contender with its unique transnational development programs
that are exceptionally comprehensive along the emerging value chain.
Timelines and approximate market size are given and development work
appraised. There is also a look at smart textiles that may transistion to
being true e-textiles. Full information and ordering into here.
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Integral Announces New Conductive Plastics Materials
PRNewswire/ -- Integral Technologies, Inc.
(OTC-BB: ITKG) ("Integral"), an emerging light weighting leader and
its wholly owned subsidiary, ElectriPlast Corp, announced the exciting
development of two new materials. These materials keep Integral well in
front of the industry performance curve. The focus of these new materials is
the high performance shielding market and applications that will utilize
ElectriPlast as a conductor. These new products will be protected by existing
patents, with additional opportunities to add to Integral's IP portfolio from
innovations achieved during product development.
The first material is a lightweight, high
strength conductive material with an inner core of un-plated 12K and 24K
carbon fiber, the second material is a highly conductive material using
copper plated carbon fiber ("CuC"). Both materials can
be formulated with most base resins, including ABS, PA66, PBT, PC, and PP.
Technical information will be made available on the new materials in the next
few weeks, at which time orders will be accepted for them. More
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Boeing : Patent Application Titled "Conductive Fiber Reinforced
Polymer Composition" Published Online
Reporters obtained the following quote from
the background information supplied by the inventors: "The use of fiber
reinforced plastic for various applications is well known. Due to their
strength and lightweight, such composites are common in the aerospace...(more)
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STRUCTURE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FABRIC (Patent
application)
The structure of three-dimensional
electrically conductive fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
electrically conductive yarns are one of metal fiber ...(more)
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Evaluation of Advanced Conductive Nickel Materials for Strain Sensing
in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers
BYU citation here. See
the report here.
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Development of Polyester and Polyamide Conductive Fiber
A report in Journal of Materials (cite)
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Electroconductive Thread
On a pound-per-pound basis, carbon
nanotube-based fibers invented at Rice University have greater capacity to
carry electrical current than copper cables of the same mass, according to
new research. While individual nanotubes are capable of transmitting nearly
1,000 times more current than copper, the same tubes coalesced into a fiber
using other technologies fail long before reaching that capacity. read
the story (We are waiting for commercial quantities could be
available., and we know some people are ready to use it.--Editor)
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New Graphene Nanoyarn Is Conductive And As Strong As Kevlar
Graphene, a versatile and promising
nanomaterial, has so far proven difficult for scientists to manipulate due to
the fact that it is only one atom thick. According to the American Chemical
Society, graphene has an extremely high strength to weight ratio and is 100
times stronger than steel. Moreover, it is highly conductive and transparent,
making it attractive for use in solar panels, transmission lines and various
other applications. more
(Interesting, but we appear to still have quite a way to go before
commercial quantities could be available.--Editor)
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Researchers Devise New, Stretchable Antenna For Wearable Health
Monitoring
Researchers from North Carolina State
University have developed a new, stretchable antenna that can be incorporated
into wearable technologies, such as health monitoring
devices. Full report here.
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Tariq Bashir, PhD of Sweden publishes Dissertation Conjugated Polymer
based Conductive Fibers for Smart Textile Applications.
Useful overview of the field. Read the abstract here.; full report here.
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Lighter, Stronger EMI Shielding--Future of E-Textiles
Nice article about the value of
metalized Micro-Coax's ARACON aramid fibers in reducing aircraft
weight. Every pound saved translates into big money in fuel saved or
enhanced performance. Read the story here.
There is also a report about e-testiles for
the next decade: E-Textiles: Electronic Textiles 2014-2024
Electronic and electric smart fibers, e-fibers, fibertronics, smart textiles,
soft circuits By Dr Peter Harrop and Raghu Das Brand new for Q1
2014. Read more.
The report costs a bit of money, but the summary is also worthwhile.
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Micro-Coax Acquired
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Carlisle
Companies Incorporated (NYSE:CSL) today announced the acquisition of
Micro-Coax, Inc., a leading global supplier of high-performance, high
frequency coaxial wire and cable, and cable assemblies for mission-critical
RF/microwave applications for defense, satellite, test and measurement and
other industrial customers.
With annual sales of approximately $45
million and 235 employees, Micro-Coax has manufacturing facilities in
Pottstown, PA and a joint venture operation in Blackburn, UK. The company has
been in business for over 50 years and is a supplier to the world’s
leading defense, aerospace and electronics companies. Micro-Coax designs,
manufactures and sells customized, high-reliability wire and cable for signal
transmission on defense, space and satellite platforms and in high-end
industrial equipment. The company’s well-known brands include
UTiFLEX® flexible microwave cable assemblies, UTiFORM® hand formable
cable, M-FLEX® cable assemblies and ARACON® metal clad fiber. more
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Company Makes First Known SemiConductor Thread
MINATEC Entreprises – BHT of France France:
makes a conductive yarn, PRIMO1D, with embedded
LED, the first semiconductor yarn!
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Researchers Devise New, Stretchable Antenna for Wearable Health
Monitoring
Researchers from North Carolina State
University have developed a new, stretchable antenna that can be incorporated
into wearable technologies, such as health monitoring devices. Read the
whole story here.
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Conductive Fibers Appear in Nature?
Our staff just ran into something interesting
from the University of Oxford which I thought I might share with you. Link.
It appears that there is an analog of our metal-clad fibers which occurs
commonly in nature-spider webs! Apparently spiders coat the surface of
their silk webs with an electrically-conductive glue which actually causes
the web to "reach out to grab all charged particles, from pollen and
pollutants to flying insects." Oddly enough, the web is attracted
to both positively and negatively charged objects.
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Detecting Chemicals, Measuring Strain with a Pencil and Paper
An interesting and exciting article, a new way
of looking at things. It worked for films (i.e. paper). Wwhat are
the implications for conductive fibers? Read the article from
Northwestern's McCormick School here.
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Not-weak knots bolster carbon fiber: New material created with graphene
oxide flakes
This is an interesting phenomena-normally,
knots are where a fiber will break. However they are not really
advancing the strength of the base fiber with this approach. However,
they are doing some really creative work. It would be an exciting place
for a researcher to be right now. Read the story here.
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Bullet Proof Cable Assemblies: Executive interview with Chris
Kneizys, president of Micro-Coax
see interview with Micro-Wave Journal here
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UNL team's discovery yields supertough, strong nanofibers
University of Nebraska-Lincoln materials
engineers have developed a structural nanofiber that is both strong and
tough, a discovery that could transform everything from airplanes and bridges
to body armor and bicycles. Their findings are featured on the cover of this
week's April issue of the American Chemical Society's journal, ACS
Nano. link
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Stretchy Gold Electronics Could Someday Live Inside Your Brain
What looks like a shiny piece of gold foil
is actually a new stretchy conductive material that could one day be
fashioned into electrode implants for the brain or pacemakers for the heart.
Crafted from gold nanoparticles and an elastic polymer, the material retains
its conductivity even when stretched to four times its original
length.“It looks like elastic gold,” said Nicholas Kotov, a
chemical engineer at the University of Michigan. “But we can stretch it
just like a rubber band.” When it stretches, it retains all the
properties of a metal, including the ability to transport electrons.
Normally, stretching a circuit disrupts the
interatomic connections that keep electrons flowing from one end to the
other. Most existing stretchable electronics overcome this difficulty by
using accordion- or spring-like folding wires that can expand and contract.
But in the new material, no folds or convolutions are needed. more-link
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Tough and highly conductive carbon nanotube fibre
RESEARCHERS at Rice University have, after
ten years, developed a carbon nanotube fibre which looks and acts like a
textile thread but conducts electricity and heat like a metal wire. The
researchers have also come up with an industrially-scalable process for
making the carbon nanotube (CNT) fibres. Read the whole story in Electronics News
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Iran Produces Electromagnetic Adsorbent Cellulose Nanofibers with
Antibacterial, Anti-flame Properties
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian researchers at Islamic
Azad University, the Southern Tehran Branch, succeeded in the production of
fibers with high thermal resistance, antibacterial and anti-flame properties
that are also able to absorb electromagnetic waves.
more
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Global Nanocomposites Industry Report Available
PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that
a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
http://www.reportlinker.com/p090571/Global-Nanocomposites-Industry.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Nanotechn
Read more here.
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Iranian researcher engages in project to make highly conductive plastic
fibers
Iranian researcher Vina Faramarzi jointly with
other scientists from CNRS and the University of Strasbourg succeeded in
making highly conductive plastic fibers that are only several nanometers
thick. The nanowires, are "self-assemble" when triggered by a flash
of light. Source:
ISNA read more
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Spider Silk Weaves New Path for Electronics Adding gold or nanotubes to spider silk creates
microscopic wires
By Neil
Savage / May 2012 Scientists chasing the secrets of spider silk have
spent years focusing on the material’s remarkable mechanical
properties. read more
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Another area which really fits well in
the CFMC is the who arena of Buckypapers. This first paper makes a very
important point; "Relatively small concentrations of nanotubes can
change a normally insulating polymer film to a transparent electrical
conductor." This has major market implications since ITO
(Indium/tin oxide) is a major component in touch-screen technology.
Needless to say, it has implications to conducting fibers, EMI shielding,
etc. The second paper is a bit of a refinement on the Buckypaper
concept-a means of controlling pore size. The team grew single crystals
of polymers around the nanotubes which creates natural "spacers" to
maintain a controlled distance between nanotubes.
Buckypapers Clarify Electrical, Optical Behavior Of
Nanotubes
'Shish Kebab' Structure Provides Improved Form of
'Buckypaper'
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New Process Converts Polyethylene Into Carbon Fiber You might want to take a look at some of the fiber
configurations in the photo: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120327152903.htm
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Smart Textiles And Wearable Technologies Market Study By Textiles
Intelligence Now Available At MarketPublishers.com
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smart textiles are
textiles which can sense and react to an environment or stimulus -- including
heat or light -- or have been treated to provide added functionality, such as
stain resistance or odour control. These products have the potential to
change the way people dress, communicate, respond to emergencies, manage
their health and even entertain themselves. More
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Heated Fabric Using Carbon Nanotube Coated Fibers
Kuraray Living has developed a full-face
heating fabric using CNTEC, a carbon nanotube coated electro conductive
fiber. This fiber was co-developed with Hokkaido University and others.
read more
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Electronic Cotton--Cotton Transistors
Now--cotton transistors! Circuits could be woven from conductive and
semiconducting natural fibers.... read
more
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Conductive Fiber Medical Application
See this pre-publication article about a new
device that utilizes the conductive fiber technology to deliver the thermal
ablation. click
here. (Dr. Lobodzinski is
the scientific advisor to our CFMC)
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Conductive Kevlar Fibers | Flintbox
Researchers at Rice University have coated
Kevlar fibers with electrically conductive carbon materials using a
layer-by-layer spray coating method. ... more
Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Nanoribbon-Coated Conductive ...
ABSTRACT Conductive carbon materials-coated
Kevlar fibers were fabricated through layer- .... fibers to make other
lightweight, tough and conductive fibers. ... more
also at
Conductive carbon
materials-coated Kevlar fibers were fabricated through layer- by-layer spray
coating. Polyurethane was used as the interlayer between the ... more
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E-King Cotton?
Conductive Cotton: Scientists Fashioning Electronic
Future for ...
Newswise — ITHACA, NY — The latest breakthrough in
cotton fiber research has ... The next layers were either conductive or
semiconductive coatings; ...
Cotton the sci-fi fabric of the
future Hinestroza, associate professor of fiber science, was
part of an ... of gold nanoparticles along with semiconductive and conductive
polymers were used to ...
Transistors are made from natural cotton fibers
This organic
electrochemical transistor was made with cotton fibers. The gate, drain and
source in the device are made from cotton threads with conductive ...
Transistors made out of cotton may lead to high-tech
fashion By
coating the cotton with a layer of gold nanoparticles, and then applying
conductive or semiconductive coating to the fiber, Hinestroza found that
“the ...
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Nanotube Cables Hit a Milestone: As Good as Copper
Researchers achieve a goal they've been after
since the 1980s—the advance could make cars and airplanes lighter,
and renewable energy more practical. more
but also cosnider this:
NIST Uncovers Reliability Issues for Carbon
Nanotubes in Future Electronics Read the story.
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Iran inaugurates first carbon fiber
production line TEHRAN
- Iran has inaugurated the first production line for carbon fiber at ... and
high conductive strength and chemical tolerance are the features of the ... (more)
Smart forvision at the 2011 International
Motor Show Offers an eMercedesBenz Solar Cells, carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxy resin, an
infrared-reflective heat ... This is why “e-textiles”
– thin fabrics with custom-tailored conductive ... (more)
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Improved electrical conductivity in polymeric composites
(Nanowerk News) Physicists at the University
of Luxembourg have developed a new method to improve the electrical
conductivity of polymeric composites. link
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Ions Control Shape Of Nanofibers Grown On Clear Substrate
Researchers from North Carolina State
University, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and CFD Research Corporation
have found a new way to develop straight carbon nanofibers on a transparent
substrate. Growing such nanofiber coatings is important for use in novel
biomedical research tools, solar cells, water repellent coatings and others.
The technique utilizes a charged chromium grid, and relies on ions to ensure
the nanofibers are straight, rather than curling - which limits their
utility. more
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Coating Boosts Nanowire Efficiency and Sensitivity: Promise for
Photodetectors and Solar Cells
ScienceDaily; By applying a coating to
individual silicon nanowires, researchers at Harvard and Berkeley have
significantly improved the materials' efficiency and sensitivity...link. Also
see.
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China Reports: New material industry expected to grow 20% in '11
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2011-07-14 13:10 By
Liu Jin
We may find new materials nearly everywhere,
such as our clothes, tableware, vehicles, houses and workplaces; from many
important projects, such as large airplane, high-speed railway, new-energy
autos etc. to many important industries, such as tri-networks integration
(telecom network, broadcast network and computer communication network),
Internet of Things and energy saving and environmental protection, all of
them require the breakthrough on and application of a series of new material
technology. Link
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An Advance Toward Ultra-Portable Electronic Devices
Chemical Wiring and Soldering toward
All-Molecule Electronic Circuitry"
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Scientists are reporting a key advance toward
the long-awaited era of "single-molecule electronics," when common
electronic circuits in computers, smart phones, audio players, and other
devices may shrink to the size of a grain of sand. The breakthrough is a
method for creating and attaching the tiny wires that will connect molecular
components, reports a new study in the Journal of the American Chemical
Society.
Yuji Okawa and colleagues write that the
"key to single-molecule electronics is connecting functional molecules
to each other using conductive nanowires. This involves two issues: how to
create conductive nanowires at designated positions, and how to ensure
chemical bonding between the nanowires and functional molecules." That
challenge has stymied many researchers, who have struggled to produce wires
small enough to use in molecular circuits.
The scientists now demonstrate a method that
uses the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope to jump-start the formation
of a molecule chain. The chain or "wire" spontaneously chemically
bonds with other molecular components in the circuit under construction, a
process that Okawa and colleagues dub "chemical soldering." The
wiring method can be used to connect molecular switches, memory bits, and
transistors. The scientists say their technique "will enable us to
develop cheaper, higher-performance, and more ecological alternatives to
conventional silicon-based devices."
The authors acknowledge funding from the Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science. SOURCE:
American Chemical Society link
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Vectran Used as Base for New Conductive Fiber
Named , LiberatorTM, Syscom
states this fiber have advantages over conventional conductive metal wires in
flexibility, weight savings, mechanical strength, durability and tailored
electrical conductivity. link
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Applying Conductive Nanocoatings to Textiles
ScienceDaily (June 6, 2011) —
Imagine plugging a USB port into a sheet of paper, and turning it into a
tablet computer. It might be a stretch, but ideas like this have researchers
at North Carolina State University examining the use of conductive
nanocoatings on simple textiles -- like woven cotton or even a sheet of
paper. link
See also:
link and link
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Engineers Develop Non-Acoustical Sensor to Improve Battlefield
Communication
While not new, this might be improved with our
members' conductive fibers. PDF link.
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High-Tech Textiles Protect From Sources of Electromagnetic and Termal
Radiation.
Please see linked
news release from Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim
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MIT Finds New Way to Control Conductivity: Reversible Control of
Electrical and Thermal Properties Could Find Uses in Storage Systems
"The process works because when the
liquid freezes, the pressure of its forming crystal structure pushes the
floating particles into closer contact, increasing their electrical and
thermal conductance. When it melts, that pressure is relieved and the
conductivity goes down. In their experiments, the researchers used a
suspension that contained just 0.2 percent graphite flakes by volume. Such
suspensions are remarkably stable: Particles remain suspended indefinitely in
the liquid, as was shown by examining a container of the mixture three months
after mixing. " Ref
& story. Anyone
trying this with conditive fibers yet? Editor.
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Strong, Tough and Now Cheap: New Way to Process Metallic Glass
Developed
Our advisors think this process have
significant implications in wire formation and conducting fibers. See
story.
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Chemist Designs New Polymer Structures for Use as 'Plastic Electronics'
Iowa State University's Malika Jeffries-EL
says she's exploring structure-property studies so she can teach old polymers
new tricks. Those tricks improve the properties of certain organic polymers
that mimic the properties of traditional inorganic semiconductors and could
make the polymers very useful in organic solar cells, light-emitting diodes
and thin-film transistors. The rest of the story.
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Conductive Fibers as Circuit Substrate?
A recent presentation by Yirong Lin, Ph D,
University of Florida, discuuses Multifunctional Active Composites for
Enhanced Structural Safety and Performance. The
story
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Novel Electrode for Flexible Thin-Film Solar Cells
"If a solar cell made out of this
material is bent, the electrode layers break and are no longer conductive.
The challenge thus consists of manufacturing flexible yet stable conductive
substrates, ideally in a cost-effective industrial rolling process."
One particularly promising possibility is the use of a transparent flexible
woven polymer. The
story.
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Penn Research Advances Understanding of Lead Selenide Nanowires
The key contribution of the team's work has to
do with controlling the conductive properties of lead selenide nanowires in
circuitry. Semiconductors come in two types, n and p, referring to the
negative or positive charge they can carry. The ones that move electrons,
which have a negative charge, are called "n-type." Their
"p-type" counterparts don't move protons but rather the absence of
an electron — a "hole" — which is the equivalent
of moving a positive charge. The story.
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Huge Advances Forecasted from Nanotechnologies
from SpecialChem - Apr 1, 2011 Read the story
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Applying Energy Harvesters To Textiles
By Raghu Das, Chairman, IDTechEx Energy
harvesters enabling micro-power generation provide new levels of efficiency
and automation in the built environment, process control, vehicles and
healthcare. However, recently a large effort is being placed into developing
the technology for integration into textiles. Read the whole story here.
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Conductive FIbers Saving Lives
Channel News Asia reports that Life-saving
kits in demand after Japan quake. The life saver is a jacket, the interior of
which is made of electro-conductive fiber. The fiber can keep the temperature
inside the jacket at 42 degrees Celsius for up to eight hours, hence it could
save one's life at sub-zero temperatures.
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Syscom Files to Trademark the Name "Liberator" for Conductive
Fibers
On Thursday, December 16, 2010, a U.S. federal
trademark registration was filed for LIBERATOR. This trademark is owned by
Syscom Advanced Materials, Columbus, OH 43212. The USPTO has given the
LIBERATOR trademark serial number of 85199174, Goods and Services: conductive
fibers, namely, fibers for conducting electrical charges and fibers for
electromagnetic interference shielding; metallized fibers. http://www.trademarkia.com/liberator-85199174.html
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Auto Industry Looks at Aluminum Wire to Save Weight
We know copper wiring is heavy and has
drawbacks. BMW is looking at aluminum wiring--see the referenced
story. The US went through this phase with aluminum wiring in houses and
industrial buildings—largely based on cost. The results were mixed
at best.
Auto makers are looking at cost, availability,
and WEIGHT. This changes the equation somewhat. Data and experience proves
that conductive fibers can perform like wire, but at a fraction of the
weight...the future of Conductive Fibers looks better every day.
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Carbon Fiber Market: Cautious Optimism
As the recession recedes, the demand for
carbon fiber, and the supply to meet it, will exceed prerecession
expectations. Article From: High-Performance
Composites March 2011, Jeff Sloan, Editor-in-Chief
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Metalized Textiles Fashion Style
The Hong Kong Institute of Textiles and
Apparel recently showcased the use of sputtering metallurgy to create
metallized textiles. Process advantages are claimed to be: even deposition of
dense nanoparticles on various textile structures and fibers; fabrics look
like metal but are soft with metallic properties; and the non-aqueous process
does not generate any water pollution. (We are researching this and will
follow-up with more news.--Editor)
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Coiled Nanowires May Hold Key to Stretchable Electronics
ScienceDaily (Jan. 12, 2011) —
Researchers at North Carolina State University have created the first coils
of silicon nanowire on a substrate that can be stretched to more than double
their original length, moving us closer to incorporating stretchable
electronic devices into clothing, implantable health-monitoring devices, and
a host of other applications.... For full story, see: link.
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Spinning the Unspinnable: Superconducting, Energy Storing and Catalytic
Yarns Based on Ancient Types of Spirals
ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2011) —
Nanotechnologists at The University of Texas at Dallas have invented a
broadly deployable technology for producing weavable, knittable, sewable, and
knottable yarns containing up to 95 weight percent of otherwise unspinnable
guest powders and nanofibers. A minute amount of host carbon nanotube web,
which can be lighter than air and stronger pound-per-pound than steel,
confines guest particulates in the corridors of highly conducting scrolls
without interfering with guest functionality for such applications as energy
storage, energy conversion, and energy harvesting. For full story, see: link.
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New High-Performance Fiber Created
Researchers at Northwestern University have
nanoengineered a new kind of fiber that could be tougher than Kevlar. They
created a high performance fiber from carbon nanotubes and a polymer that is
remarkably tough, strong, and resistant to failure. For full story, see:
http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/article_791.html Update
March 2011: Link.
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Radically Simple Technique Developed to Grow Conducting Polymer Thin
Films
A team of UCLA chemists and engineers has
developed a new method for coating large surfaces with nanofiber thin films
that are both transparent and electrically conductive. Their method involves
the vigorous agitation of water, dense oil and polymer nanofibers. After this
solution is sufficiently agitated it spreads over virtually any surface,
creating a film. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102091108.htm
T This begs the question, at
what point will conductive films become conductive fibers?--Editor
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Striding Towards a New Dawn for Electronics
ScienceDaily — Conductive polymers
are plastic materials with high electrical conductivity that promise to
revolutionize a wide range of products including TV displays, solar cells,
and biomedical sensors. A team of McGill University researchers now reports
how to visualize and study the process of energy transport along one single
conductive polymer molecule at a time, a key step towards bringing these
exciting new applications to market. Continued:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928032618.htm
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Plastics + Nanoparticles = Perfect Combination reports ScienceDaily. Specifically Franhaufer Institute for
Manufacturing Technology andAdvanced Materials IFAM in Bremen, researchers
developed a process for manufacturing new materials that should afford
aircraft better protection against lightning strikes. They have been focusing
on the unique material properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
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Electonic textiles are certainly not
new, and an ideal use of conductive textiles. New developments increase the
potential by multi-tasking, to wit:
Plug Your iPod Into Your T-Shirt for Power?
ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2010) — Could
powering an iPod or cell phone become as easy as plugging it into your
T-shirt or jeans, and then recharging the clothing overnight? Scientists in
California are reporting an advance in that direction with an easier way of
changing ordinary cotton and polyester into "conductive energy
textiles" -- e-Textiles that double as a rechargeable battery. Their
report on the research appears in ACS' Nano Letters, a monthly journal. Continued: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100120113556.htm
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Stretchable Fabric Switch - Patent 7378608
The present invention provides a stretchable
fabric that may serve as a switch device or coupling to an electronic device
and a power source by merely stretching or pusing the fabric. The stretchable
fabrics may be usable in a wearable garment, furniture, or other suitable
locations where it can be incorporated to close a circuit. Through a
releasable stretching or pushing action by the user, electrically conductive
strips integrated in the fabrics come in contact to activate related
ancillary equipment such as power supplies or electronic devices. Continued:http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56912898/Stretchable-Fabric-Switch---Patent-7378608
This invention might also fill a
long need to early warning systems, like when a critical rope is about to
break-Editor
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Ohio State University mentions AmberStrand's Syscom Advanced Materials in an article about commercial filter
design student research http://car.eng.ohio-state.edu/news?page=1 and
http://eeic.osu.edu/capstone/projects/current-projects . Also the
company was mention in regards to Center for Automotive Research Advisory
Meeting http://car.eng.ohio-state.edu/news?page=1
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Carbon Nanotubes Twice as Strong as Once Thought
ScienceDaily (Sep. 16, 2010) —
Carbon nanotubes -- those tiny particles poised to revolutionize electronics,
medicine, and other areas -- are much bigger in the strength department than
anyone ever thought, scientists are reporting. New studies on the strength of
these submicroscopic cylinders of carbon indicate that on an ounce-for-ounce
basis they are at least 117 times stronger than steel and 30 times stronger
than Kevlar, the material used in bulletproof vests and other
products. ¶ The findings, which could expand commercial
and industrial applications of nanotube materials, appear in the monthly
journal ACS Nano. Continued:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100915140334.htm
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Nanotubes Pass Acid Test
ScienceDaily (July 16, 2010) — Rice
University scientists have found the "ultimate" solvent for all
kinds of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), a breakthrough that brings the creation of
a highly conductive quantum nanowire ever closer. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714141538.htm
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Lasers Used to Make First Boron-Nitride Nanotube Yarn
ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2009) —
Researchers have used lasers to create the first practical macroscopic yarns
from boron nitride fibers, opening the door for an array of applications,
from radiation-shielded spacecraft to stronger body armor, according to a
just-published study. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091202205634.htm
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Silicon nanowires are attracting
significant attention from the electronics industry due to the drive for
ever-smaller electronic devices, from cell phones to computers. ........ Continued:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111142514.htm
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Stainess Steel successfully clad..according
tp a US Patent Office application Nr. 20090050362, dated February 26, 2009,
and submitted by Burke; Thomas F.; (Wayland, MA) ; Haller; James E.;
(Haverhill, MA) , USA. Abstract reads: A yarn or multi-fiber formed of a
plurality of micron diameter stainless steel monofilaments which have been
rendered more conductive by one or more coatings of
electrolytically-deposited metal or metal alloy materials. The metallized
yarn provided by the invention has a very low electrical resistance, with
consequent benefit in electrical performance, and is particularly useful as
an RFI/EMI shielding material.
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AmbiKraf develops an embedded non-emissive and fast changing wearable
display .
AmbiKraf is a novel non-emissive analog fabric
display that has rapid color changing capability based on embedded
semiconductor peltier junctions that are completely integrated into the soft
fabric, enabling novel animations and interactive scenarios in the normal
clothes that we wear. Continued:
http://www.mixedreality.nus.edu.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=490&Itemid=36
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