|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAREERS |
|
|
CONDUCTIVE YARN + CONDUCTIVE FIBER-FILM NEWS |
SPONSORS SPONSORS |
|
|
‘Iron Man’ suit could charge electronics DAYTON — University of Cincinnati engineers and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are developing clothing that can charge your cellphone. The clothing is so technologically advanced that it might remind you of a scene out of “Iron Man.” The clothing uses the unique properties of carbon nano-tubes: a large surface area that is strong, conductive and heat-resistant, according to UC. UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science has a five-year agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory to consider ways to enhance military technology. UC’s Nanoworld Laboratories, co-directed by professor Vesselin Shanov, is using their expertise in electrical, chemical and mechanical engineering to craft “smart” materials that can power electronics.More |
COLLEGE OF
TEXTILES & |
|
|
Editor's observation There seems to be tremendous uptick in market studies about conductive fibers--more than five per week. Looks like a lot of people are interested in this market place. |
STAY DRY, STAY SAFE, N.C. |
|
|
Novel sensors could enable smarter textiles A team of engineers at the University of Delaware is developing next-generation smart textiles by creating flexible carbon nanotube composite coatings on a wide range of fibers, including cotton, nylon and wool. Their discovery is reported in the journal ACS Sensors where they demonstrate the ability to measure an exceptionally wide range of pressure—from the light touch of a fingertip to being driven over by a forklift. more |
|
|
|
Myant Inc., And CarlisleIT Announce Strategic Partnership For Next-Generation Conductive Yarns And The Future Of Textile Computing Ed note: A very big development, signalling the healthy future for conductive yarns The news release |
||
|
Military wearable computing hits the mainstream Ed note: This article describes the exciting and large future for integrated clothing-electronics for the warfighter. Well written, and a must read about our future. Read here. |
||
|
Here's an exciting new type of solarcell--Perovskite: |
||
|
Ultrahigh energy fiber-shaped supercapacitors based on porous hollow conductive polymer composite fiber electrodes |
|
|
|
The Basics of Rapid Injection Molding |
||
|
Exciting development: |
|
|
|
Stretchable Conductive Fibers Based on a Cracking
Control Strategy for Wearable Electronics |
||
|
Organic Conductive Fibers as Nonmetallic Electrodes and Neural Interconnects
|
COLLEGE OF
TEXTILES & |
|
|
Video: Essentium Shows off Unique Additive Materials |
||
|
GLOBAL CONDUCTIVE STAINLESS FIBERS MARKET RESEARCH
REPORT 2017 |
||
|
Effect of adding carbon fiber on conductive
stability of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber composites |
New textile digitalisation event
comes to US |
|
|
Another development to complement conduuctive fibers: Deformable robots would be endlessly useful. There are any number of materials available that can serve as the bodies of robots that would wiggle and wriggle; what’s lacking is electronics that are similarly deformable and would enable and control the movement. This is one of the inspirations for investigating liquid metal electronics, and the recent demonstration of a liquid metal switch is an encouraging sign that liquid metal electronics might be not just possible but also practical. more |
Consider CFMC MEMBERSHIP CFMC is built around three core constituencies: (1) Manufacturers, (2) Academic and Research and Development members, and (3) Application users or customers of conductive fibers. We offer three levels of membership to accommodate these constituencies: active, associate, and allied. Isn't it time you joined? Contact us for Membership Information |
|
|
Another development to complement conduuctive fibers: A new light-emitting device has been developed in the laboratory of Ali Javey, professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at Berkeley, and it may have a very bright future. The new device is three atoms thick and can be made smaller than a human hair. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, the advancement was published in Nature Communications on March 26. A previously published work by the Ali Javey lab in 2015 showed how different semiconductors were capable of emitting light, but they were unable to create a functioning light-emitting device. more |
||
|
Knitting electronics with yarn batteries The group twisted carbon nanotube fibers into a yarn, then coated one piece of yarn with zinc to form an anode, and another with magnesium oxide to form a cathode. These two pieces were then twisted like a double helix and coated with a polyacrylamide electrolyte and encased in silicone. more |
||
|
New conductive coating may unlock biometric and wearable technology of the future A team of researchers from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University have developed a mechanically robust conductive coating that can maintain performance under heavy stretching and bending. Stretchable, bendable and foldable electronics are crucial for the development of emerging technologies like adaptive displays, artificial skin, and biometric and wearable devices. This presents a unique challenge of balancing electronic performance and mechanical flexibility. The difficulty lies in finding a material that can withstand a wide array of deformations, like stretching, bending and twisting, all while maintaining electrical conductivity. Adding to the challenge is the need for this conductivity to be engineered into a variety of different surfaces, such as cloth, fiber, glass or plastic. more |
|
|
|
Conductive Textiles Industry: Innovation in the
textile industry and Increase In Physical Fitness Activities to
Improve Growth |
||
|
Integral Technologies Announces ElectriPlast® Conductive Long Fiber Licensing Agreement EVANSVILLE, Ind., Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Integral Technologies Inc. (OTC-PK: ITKG) today announced it has partnered with PolyOne Corp. to commercialize its patented, long fiber conductive ElectriPlast® material for electromagnetic and radio-frequency (EMI/RFI) shielding applications. PolyOne licenses conductive long fiber technology for driver assist devices - CompositesWorld |
|
|
|
"Atom-Thick" Fibers Will Lead To Amazingly Light Phones, All thanks to atomic "sewing." Mixing and matching two seemingly distinct components has led to some of humanity’s greatest inventions. Reinforcing concrete with steel made skyscrapers possible. Stitching together the atoms of various substances has led to composite materials, like carbon fiber and fiberglass, that are used in our phones, cars, and homes. more |
||
|
Flexible, sensor-packed e-skin can be healed when damaged and recycled when no longer needed The next generation of fitness trackers and health monitors may not be little boxes we wear around our necks or on our wrists, they could be flexible wearables or temporary tattoos. But when such devices get damaged, they'll need to be replaced. And when they're no longer needed, they'll end up on the growing mountain of e-waste. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have developed an electronic skin embedded with a host of sensors that can be bent and twisted to custom fit its owner. And if it gets damaged, the e-skin can be healed, and it can be completely recycled at the end of its useful life. link |
||
|
Japanese researchers develop ultrathin, highly elastic skin display A new ultrathin elastic display that fits snugly on the skin can show the moving waveform of an electrocardiogram recorded by a breathable, on-skin electrode sensor. Combined with a wireless communication module, this integrated biomedical sensor system, called "skin electronics," can transmit biometric data to the cloud. more |
|
|
|
Method Developed for Handmade Nanotubes that Can be
Made in One Hour...Watch
the Video THIS
IS BIG |
|
|
|
Adidas Sneakers = Free Pass on Berlin Subways
EXCITING DEVELOPMENT in the world of not just
conductive fibers, but smart fibers--where fibers have embedded electronics |
More news at |
|
|
RECENT Conductive Fiber Studies and Reports
|
Consider CFMC MEMBERSHIP CFMC is built around three core constituencies: (1) Manufacturers, (2) Academic and Research and Development members, and (3) Application users or customers of conductive fibers. We offer three levels of membership to accommodate these constituencies: active, associate, and allied. Isn't it time you joined? Contact us for Membership Information
|
|
|
Highly Conductive, Light Weight, Robust, Corrosion-Resistant, Scalable, All-Fiber Based Current Collectors for Aqueous Acidic Batteries Here, a carbon nanotube (CNT)–cellulose nanofiber (CNF) all-fiber composite is developed that takes advantage of the high conductivity of CNT while achieving high mechanical strength through the interaction between CNT and CNF. By optimizing the CNT/CNF weight ratio, this all-fiber current collector can be made very thin while maintaining high conductivity (˜700 S cm-1) and strength (>60 MPa), making it an ideal replacement for heavy metal current collectors in aqueous battery systems. more |
|
|
|
Facile Fabrication of Electrically Conductive Low density polyethylene/Carbon Fiber Tubes for Novel Smart Materials via Multi-axial Orientation Electromechanical sensors are indispensable components in functional devices and robotics application. However, the fabrication of the sensors still maintain a challenging issue that high percolation threshold and easy failure of conductive network are derived from uniaxial orientation of conductive fillers in practical melt processing. Herein, we reported a facile fabrication method to prepare multi-axial low density polyethylene (LDPE) /carbon fibers (CFs) tube with bidirectional controllable electrical conductivity and sensitive strain-responsive performance via rotation extrusion technology. more |
|
|
|
Reconstituted silk can be several times stronger than the natural fiber and made in different forms When it comes to concocting the complex mix of molecules that makes up fibers of natural silk, nature beats human engineering hands down. Despite efforts to synthesize the material, artificial varieties still cannot match the natural fiber's strength. But by starting with silk produced by silkworms, breaking it down chemically, and then reassembling it, engineers have found they can make a material that is more than twice as stiff as its natural counterpart and can be shaped into complex structures such as meshes and lattices. more |
|
|
|
Wireless electric bandage prevents infection Electric bandages were first announced in 2009. Now OSU has a study which builds on Sen’s 2014 research with a wireless electroceutical dressing (WED) that uses silver and zinc printed on fabric in a geometric pattern. When moistened using bodily fluids or a hydrogel, WED generates a weak electric field without any external power supply. WED can be used like any other disposable dressing. “This wireless electric dressing is FDA-cleared and already in clinical use. But we need to learn more about its underlying mechanisms to enable optimal use," Sen says. the story |
||
|
Tods Aerospace finalist for materials innovation award UK-based Tods Aerospace has collaborated with Technical Fibre Products (TFP) to develop a nonwoven veil for static dissipation applications. The innovation was developed to overcome the limitations of current state-of-the-art products available in the market and is tailored for composite applications in commercial and military aircraft fuel systems. The resulting technology, a nonwoven veil material, comes from an industry collaboration between Tods Aerospace and Technical Fibre Products (TFP, Kendal, Cumbria, UK). “Electrostatic dissipation is a requirement for nearly all glass-based composite materials used in fuel systems for modern composite-wing aircraft,” says Sean Cooper, materials and manufacturing development manager for Tods Aerospace. “Low-level electrical conductivities are required to prevent a buildup of static charge in the structure and prevent the propagation of electrical effects through the fuel system during an external lightning strike. This process of electrostatic management is an absolute necessity to ensure the safe operation of the aircraft.” more |
|
|
|
Nanotubes make flexible antennas lighter than copper Carbon nanotube fibers configured as wireless antennas can work as well as copper ones but weigh 20 times less, researchers report. The antennas may offer practical advantages for aerospace applications and wearable electronics where weight and flexibility are factors. more also longer article here with a downloadable report |
||
|
Something to Ponder: (from the editor) Wearable technology...Can we repurpose waste or will be contributing to more of it? This is the question we're asking in smart textiles and conductive fibers. Good topic for future trade shows /symposia. Read the Sage Article here |
||
|
New Paper-Based Flexible Supercapacitor for Powering Wearable Devices Researchers from the U.S. and Korea used a simple layer-by-layer coating technique in order to develop a paper-based flexible supercapacitor capable of being used to help power wearable devices. The device uses metallic nanoparticles for coating cellulose fibers in the paper, developing supercapacitor electrodes with high energy and power densities - and the finest performance until now in a textile-based supercapacitor. more |
|
|
|
Electro Conductive Fiber Market Forecast Including Growth Factors, Types And Application By Regional Geography 2017 The “Electro Conductive Fiber Market” Report offers an inclusive and decision-making overview, including definitions, classifications and its applications. The Electro Conductive Fiber market is anticipated to reflect a positive growth trend in forthcoming years. The essential driving forces behind the growth and popularity of Electro Conductive Fiber market is analysed detailed in this report. More |
||
|
Another use for conductive fibers: The Next Generation Of Smart Bandage "Smart bandage technology is something I’ve touched on a few times. Most of the time, the technology has involved being able to monitor the health of a wound without ‘undressing’ the bandage. Some take on a more active role however, such as administering insulin to manage blood glucose levels." more |
||
|
Researchers Combine Carbon Nanotubes and Nanocellulose to 3D Print Conductive Microfibers D printing technology can only go as far as the different materials that are able to be printed&ldots;but from metal and plastic to sand and even food, I don’t think we have to worry about running out of possible 3D printing materials. Nanofibrillated cellulose (nanocellulose or NFC), a novel biomaterial with multiple industrial and scientific uses, is a protein that’s been used in wound care, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which are small tubes of carbon created on the nanoscale, have applications in industrial safety. Other than being 3D printable, what do these materials have in common? Engineers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have answered that question, by combining CNTs and NFC to 3D print strong, conductive microfibers. More |
|
|
|
New VOLT Smart Yarns Revolutionizes Conductive Yarn Marketplace Global manufacturing leader of high-tech, innovative textiles, Supreme Corporation, introduces VOLT Smart Yarns, a revolutionary and highly conductive yarn for tomorrow’s advanced smart fabrics. Capable of previously unattainable high levels of conductivity on the order of 1.9 Ohms per meter, each VOLT Smart Yarn contains up to four wires the diameter of a human hair. Engineered for use with commercial sewing machines, VOLT Smart Yarns can be woven or knitted into fabrics that heat, control switches and volume, interact with wireless technology and that can become sensors for impact and touch. more |
Consider CFMC MEMBERSHIP CFMC is built around three core constituencies: (1) Manufacturers, (2) Academic and Research and Development members, and (3) Application users or customers of conductive fibers. We offer three levels of membership to accommodate these constituencies: active, associate, and allied. Isn't it time you joined? Contact us for Membership Information
|
|
|
A flexible and highly sensitive capacitive pressure sensor based on conductive fibers with a microporous dielectric for wearable electronics In this study, a flexible and highly sensitive capacitive pressure sensor has been fabricated by coating a microporous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric dielectric onto conductive fibers. Conductive fibers were prepared by depositing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in poly(styrene-block-butadiene-styrene) (SBS) polymer on the surface of Twaron fibers. more |
|
|
|
Graphene and CNTs: Commercialization after the hype Graphene and CNT applications within the advanced composites sector are still at a relatively early stage of the commercialization process, but as the availability of materials or dispersions of consistent quality has increased, a number of composite materials and components are starting to incorporate these nanomaterials. more |
Vesti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Epinicion Technologies, LLC
|
|
|
Wearable sensors reach their first billion-dollar year, with growth coming in three waves By Mr James Hayward, Senior Technology Analyst, IDTechEx www.IDTechEx.com IDTechEx predict that 2017 will be the first billion dollar year for wearable sensors. These critical components are central to the core value proposition in many wearable devices. The "Wearable Sensors 2018-2028: Technologies, Markets & Players" report includes IDTechEx's latest research and forecasts on this topic, collating over 3 years of work to provide a thorough characterisation and outlook for each type of sensor used in wearable products today. Despite sales volumes from wearable products continuing to grow, creeping commoditisation squeezes margins, with hardware sales being particularly vulnerable. This has led to some consolidation in the industry, with several prominent failures and exits, and challenging time even amongst market leaders in each sector. As hardware margins are squeezed, business models are changing to increasingly focus on the valuable data generated once a device is worn. Sensors are responsible for the collection and quality of that data, so understanding the capabilities and limitations of different sensor platforms is critical to understanding the progress of the industry as a whole. In the report, IDTechEx address 21 different types of wearable sensor across 9 different categories as follows: Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), optical sensors, electrodes, force/pressure/stretch sensors, temperature sensors, microphones, GPS, chemical & gas sensors & others. Hundreds of examples from throughout the report cover a breadth of technology readiness, ranging from long-established industries to early proof-of-concepts. The report contains information about the activities of over 115 different companies, with primary content (including interviews, exhibition or site visits by the authors) to more than 80 different companies, large and small. IDTechEx describe wearable sensors in three waves. The first wave includes sensors that have been incorporated in wearable for many years, often being originally developed for wearable products decades ago, and existing as mature industries today. A second wave of wearable sensors came following huge technology investment in smartphones. Many of the sensors from smartphones could be easily adapted for use in wearable products; they could be made-wearable. Finally, as wearable technology hype and investment peaked, many organisations identified many sensor types that could be developed specifically with wearable products in mind. These made-for-wearable sensors often remain in the commercial evaluation or relatively early commercial sales today, but some examples are already becoming significant success stories. Billions of wearable electronic products are already sold each year today. Many have already experienced significant hardware commoditisation, with tough competition driving prices down. Even as wearable devices become more advanced, introducing more sensors and better components to enhance value propositions, lessons of history tell us that hardware will always be prone to commoditisation. As this happens the role of sensors only becomes more important; with hardware prices being constantly squeezed, increasing proportions of the value that companies can capture from products will be from the data that the products can generate. The key hardware component for capturing this data is the sensors, so understanding the development and prospects of sensors today is critical to predicting the potential for this entire industry in the future. "Wearable Sensors 2018-2028: Technologies, Markets & Players" is written to address the needs of any company or individual looking to gain a clearer, independent perspective on the outlook for various types of wearable sensor. The report answers detailed questions about technology, markets and industry trends, and supported by years of primary research investment collated and distilled within. |
|
|
|
New development- Electricity from Yarns Highly twisted coiled carbon nanotube yarns termed “twistron,” generate electricity efficiently. A team of international scientists from the United States, South Korea and China led by researchers at The University of Texas-Dallas (UT Dallas) and Hanyang University, South Korea have reported in Science magazine that these harvester yarns in electrochemical environment can transform mechanical energy to electricity without any external voltage source, in other words without the need of external batteries. link |
|
|
|
Three-Dimensional Highly Stretchable Conductors from Elastic Fiber Mat with Conductive Polymer Coating The manufacture of stretchable conductors with well-reserved electrical performance under large-degree deformations via scalable processes remains of great importance. In this work, a highly stretchable 3D conductive framework consisted of polyurethane fiber mat (PUF) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is reported through facile approaches, electrospinning and in situ interfacial polymerization, which was then backfilled with poly(dimethylsiloxane) to obtain 3D conductors. The excellent stretchability of the 3D conductive network imparted the as-prepared electrode superior mechanical durability. What’s more, the applied strains can be effectively accommodated by the arrangement and orientation of the fibers resulting in relatively stable electrical performance with only 20% increased resistance at 100% stretching. Meanwhile, the resistance of the conductor could keep constant during 2000 times of bending and showed slightly increase during 100 times of 50% stretching. The potential in the applications of large-area stretchable electrodes were demonstrated by the construction of LED arrays with the PUF based conductors as electrical connections. link |
|
|
|
Touch-Sensitive Fibers Eyed for Use in Wearable Devices |
|
|
|
Could Bacteria-Coated Nanofiber Electrodes be Key to Cleaning Polluted Water? Researchers from Cornell University have recently discovered a cost-effective and unique method of cleaning wastewater. Bioelectrochemical engineers and material scientists made nano fiber electrodes from electro-spun carbon then covered them in PEDOT, a conductive polymer. This coating allowed a certain type of bacteria, *Geobacter sulfurreducens, to be applied electrically. The entire process takes several hours until it forms an easily visible sheet of nanofibers. (more)
|
Vesti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Epinicion Technologies, LLC
|
|
|
Wearable Touch Sensors: Stretchable Conductive Fibers |
COLLEGE OF TEXTILES &
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING |
|
|
Making wires of polymers chains Researchers model new route to molecular wires suitable for use in miniature electronics read the story |
||
|
PAPER could be the future of electronics:
Researchers reveal radical low cost printing method that could
revolutionize flexible devices |
||
|
Fed grant backs nanofiber development: Rice University joins Department of Energy 'Next Generation Machines' initiative Rice University scientists who developed conductive fibers made entirely of carbon nanotubes will enhance their invention with the aid of a grant from the Department of Energy. Read the release here |
||
|
A Better Material for Flexible Electronics Recently a group of researchers at the University of Illinois College of Engineering have developed a type of textile made of thin carbon nanotubes (CNT) that is highly conductive and has a toughness that is about 50 times higher that current copper films used nowadays. Carbon nanotubes are tiny cylinders of graphene with a diameter of few nanometers (nm) – this is about 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. Even with size, CNT are much stronger that steel of carbon fiber, more conductive than copper and lighter than aluminum. However, to assemble and weaving nanotubes to create a particular structure is very difficult given their sizes and the difficulty in controlling their geometry. more |
Vesti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Epinicion Technologies, LLC
|
|
|
Touch-sensitive fibers put new twist on controlling electronic devices We're used to touchscreens, but now researchers have created new, touch-sensitive fibers that can be used to interact with electronic devices. The microscopic fibers are soft, stretchable and capable of detecting touch, strain and twisting, all of which could lead to new sorts of wearable devices and sensing applications. The fibers created at North Carolina State University are made of a extremely thin strands of a tube-like polymer filled with a liquid metal alloy of eutectic gallium and indium (EGaIn). The strands are a few hundred microns in diameter, or just a little thicker than a human hair. more |
|
|
|
Circuitex® Conductive Technology Advances Design Flexibility in Smart Apparel SCRANTON, Pa., Feb. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Biomaterials, Inc., a global leader in conductive solutions for smart textiles applications, has collaborated with Bemis Associates to develop a seamless, conductive advanced material that allows for simple and durable integration of electronics into apparel. This fully-bonded, conductive material is engineered with Noble's Circuitex® technology and provides for the detection, transmission and protection of electronic signals in a soft and flexible format. Its unique construction provides designers with complete freedom to design smart garments with integrated stretch and durability using Bemis Sewfree® Bonding. more |
|
|
|
How researchers created twisted semiconductors for 3D projection Editor comment: We've long maintained that we expect entire circuits to be embedded in a fiber, just like a highway has gas stations, traffic lights, etc. enroute. A team of chemical engineers guided the attachment of small semiconductor nanoparticles to each other by learning from nature’s very own twisted structures: DNA and proteins Researchers at the University of Michigan and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel teamed up to discover a way to mass-produce spiral semiconductors that can produce 3D images. In the future, this could mean that smartphones and other consumer electronics devices could be capable of producing 3D images. more |
|
|
|
Are smart textiles ready for the real world? Over the past decade, there has been a slow but sure evolution of wearable electronics, including smart textiles, designed primarily to monitor body functions and communicate with the Internet of Things. But a great many were not especially wearable, and some never made it out of the lab. The tide, however, seems to be turning. Read more |
|
|
|
Conductive Yarn Industry Report introduced a Market Segment, Product Types, with Sales, Revenue, Price, Market Share and Growth, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, Size, Share, Demand, Analysis, Manufacturers, Type and Application, Forecast 2016 to 2021 Global Conductive Yarn Industry 2016 is an analytical research report that delves into the dynamics of the global Conductive Yarn industry.It presents an executive-level blueprint of the market with key focus on its operations in globe. In a lucid chapter-wise format, the report presents the historical statistics of the Conductive Yarn market in addition to studying the competitive landscape. The purpose of this study is to present a comprehensive overview of the market for industry participants. Key findings of this report will help companies operating in the Conductive Yarn market to identify the opportunities that they can capitalize on to propel growth. The study analyzes the Conductive Yarn industry in detail. To begin with, it enumerates the primary market operations, evaluating the nature and specific characteristics of products and services it provides. In the following chapters, the study classifies the Conductive Yarn market in terms of its varied product types, applications, network of supply chain, and geography. Based on the market segmentation, the report analyzes the competitive landscape of the Conductive Yarn market and lays down the development status of key regions in globally. MORE |
||
|
Knitted muscle could power the supersuits of the future Knitting isn’t just for grandmas: Scientists are using the process to make artificial muscle that moves more like we do. In a study published today in Science Advances, researchers created a textile actuator, or textuator—a new kind of smart fabric that can control movement. They coated cellulose (an organic compound found in plant cell walls that makes up everything from plastic to cotton fibers) “yarn” with a special polymer called polypyrrole that shifts and stretches in response to electricity. The team found that woven smart yarn was able to withstand great force, whereas a knitted pattern was able to stretch. more
|
||
|
Self-healing, stretchable, transparent and
conductive ionic
conductor
THIS IS BIG
|
|
|
|
Progress for solar powered smart textiles
|
||
|
Research: self-charging fibres for smart textiles
|
||
|
Medical textiles: what’s next?
|
||
|
DuPont Microcircuit Materials Introduces Pure
Copper Conductive Ink Also, see article about stretchable inks: here |
||
|
IPC Meeting on Standards for Textiles and Stretchable/Wearable Printed Electronics was held in late December. Contact us for a report of that meeting. |
||
|
Bendy artificial muscle is made of pure nylon, still stronger than you An MIT breakthrough allows engineers to create artificial muscles that bend by simply heating nylon fibers. more Thisit is an exciting breakthrough, and the editor wonders if artificial nerves can't also be created with conducitve fibers. |
LOOK FOR US AT UPCOMING CONFERENCES |
|
|
IFAI EXPO Smart Fabrics Program
"Few slots are open for sponsors, publicity, and feedback! |
|
|
|
Textile Generates Power from Sun and Motion |
|
|
|
Intel is laying off a major portion of its wearables group Intel is denying that the company is stepping back from wearables, though has not directly commented on the layoff news. Here is the company’s statement in full (more) |
|
|
|
Graphene-fed silkworms produce super-strong, electrically conductive silk Here's an unsual story: Scientists may have found another use for silk. Previously, the natural protein fiber was predominantly used in the textile industry. Researchers have now observed that the properties of silk can be manipulated if silkworm larvae are fed a new-age diet consisting of graphene and carbon nanotubes. Read more |
||
|
Rice University Researchers Find Ways to Improve Graphene Nanoribbons For decades, carbon fiber has been considered as a pillar of strength in the field of materials manufacturing. Rice University scientists are now finding ways to improve these carbon fibers to enhance its properties. The scientists discovered that the polymer chains that develop a common carbon fiber are susceptible to misalignment during the manufacturing process. This misalignment is considered as a defect that the researchers compared to a faulty zipper that leads to weakening of the product. (Picture and more) |
|
|
|
Here's a Patent for Metalized Coating of Optical Fibers Interesting patent, details. By the way, one of our members might have a simpler method. Give us a call.
|
||
|
Highly Conductive and Flexible Fiber for Textile Electronics Obtained by Extremely Low-Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition of Pt Sparse details at: link |
||
|
Scientists Use Bacteria to Create Super-Thin Electrical Wires The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has sponsored a team of scientists that has genetically modified a common soil bacteria and used it create electrical wires-- thousands of times thinner than a human hair-- that can conduct electricity. Shrinking electronics is not a new concept. As electronic devices expand function and applications, researchers seek technology that is smaller, faster and more powerful than ever before. With that research, advances in nanotechnology that allow industry experts to manufacture materials that are only billionths of a meter in thickness, have become possible. more |
|
|
|
Industry Standards Update! |
Consider CFMC MEMBERSHIP CFMC is built around three core constituencies: (1) Manufacturers, (2) Academic and Research and Development members, and (3) Application users or customers of conductive fibers. We offer three levels of membership to accommodate these constituencies: active, associate, and allied. Isn't it time you joined? Contact us for Membership Information |
|
|
A Chemist and a Designer Team Up to Weave Solar Panels Into Fabric
For years, fabric designer Marianne Fairbanks made
solar-charged handbags. Her company, Noon Solar, was geared toward
the high-end, urban-based fashion market and, at its peak, was
selling in 30 stores in the United States and Canada. While Noon
Solar closed its doors in 2010, Fairbanks, who joined the University
of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014 as an assistant professor in the school
of human ecology, was still intrigued with the concept of solar design.
|
|
|
|
Global metal coated fiber market likely to grow with double-digit rate during 2016 to 2021 Stratview Research announces the addition of a new market research report on Global Metal Coated Fiber Market by Material Type (Nickel, Copper, Aluminum, and Others), by Application Type (EMI Shielding, LSP/ESD, and Others ),by Form of Use (Adhesive Tape, Surface Film, and Conductive Prepreg), by Plating Type (Electroless Plating, Electroplating, and Others), by Sales Channel (Direct Sales and Distributors), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016-2021. This market report from Stratview Research studies the global metal coated fiber market over the period 2010 to 2021. The research report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market. more
|
|
|
|
Conductive Composites opens second fiber coating line
|
||
|
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 |
|
|
|
LG Innotek unveils flexible textile pressure sensors LG Innotek today announced a development of new concept textile flexible pressure sensors. This sensor senses pressure from the entire surface of the sensor and it is even bendable. Read more |
|
|
|
"Smart Shirt" Keeps IndyCar Racer Kanaan on Track Another example of a smart shirt in action--using conductive fibers, of course. Read the Dalas story here. |
||
|
Microsoft Mood Shirt Reacts To and Influences Feelings. Conductive fibers and smart fabrics are increasing in importance every day. Read the story here. |
||
|
Hyper-Giant Conductivity Observed at Room Temperature Berlin/IDTechEx: Hyper-Giant Conductivity Observed at Room Temperature in metal/carbon compouind materials using 3-D lithoography with x,y, and t beam control for this Koops-GranMat®, process. Koops-GranMat® can replace cooled superconducting materials in present appications and will revolutionaze electronics, THz switching, photonics, and energy transport. For information contact Hans W. P. Koops in Ober-Ramstadt, Germany hans.koops@t-online.de Dr. Koops and your editor spent considerable time toegther in Berlin, and we feel this process might be truly revolutionary. |
|
|
|
U.S. Consortium Commits $317 Million for Advanced Textiles Development A newly-announced private/public collaboration will invest $317 million towards developing the next generation of textile innovations in the United States. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, a consortium of 89 manufacturers, universities, industry and non-profits organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will form the New Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Hub. The consortium – operating as Advanced Functional Fabrics of America – will be leading the research work, under the management of the U.S. Army. The U.S. Department of Defense will invest $75 million in the program, which will be combined with nearly $250 million in contributions from non-federal entities to fund the next generation fiber-textile chain research. Leading technology firms such as Bose, Intel and many innovative textile companies are involved in the effort. The new revolutionary fiber institute is the eighth manufacturing innovation hub initiative by President Obama administered through the U.S. Department of Defense. These institutes are aimed at developing high-tech sectors in the U.S. to enable them to be competitive, especially in the manufacturing sector. citation |
|
|
|
Hemp waste fibers form basis of supercapacitor more conductive than graphene Comprised of a lone hexagonal honeycomb lattice layer of tightly packed carbon atoms, graphene is one of the strongest, lightest, and most conductive compounds ever discovered. Bottom line, it’s an extraordinary composite. However, a scientist from New York’s Clarkson University says he’s found a way to manufacture hemp waste into a material “better than graphene.” Moreover, the scientist — known to his peers as Dr. David Mitlin — says creating this graphene-like hemp material costs but a minuscule fraction of what it takes to produce graphene. more |
Consider CFMC MEMBERSHIP CFMC is built around three core constituencies: (1) Manufacturers, (2) Academic and Research and Development members, and (3) Application users or customers of conductive fibers. We offer three levels of membership to accommodate these constituencies: active, associate, and allied. Isn't it time you joined? Contact us for Membership Information |
|
|
Textile Electronics Standards Workshop to be Held at NC State University A workshop that will be held at the campus of North Carolina State University on the topic of standards for wearable devices, to be held March 8th and 9th. One entire day of the workshop will be focused on standards for textile electronics. Here is a link to the workshop....http://www.assistworkshops.com/wearable-standards/ . |
||
|
The Iron Stepping Stones To Better Wearable Tech
Without Semiconductors
|
|
|
|
New Type of Nanowires, Built with Natural Gas Heating A team of Korean researchers, affiliated with UNIST has recently pioneered in developing a new simple nanowire manufacturing technique that uses self-catalytic growth process assisted by thermal decomposition of natural gas. According to the research team, this method is simple, reproducible, size-controllable, and cost-effective in that lithium-ion batteries could also benefit from it. read more |
CFMC MEMBERSHIP CFMC is built around three core constituencies: (1) Manufacturers, (2) Academic and Research and Development members, and (3) Application users or customers of conductive fibers. We offer three levels of membership to accommodate these constituencies: active, associate, and allied. Isn't it time you joined? Contact us for Membership Information |
|
|
Fiber Optics Transmit Data and Power Over Same Cable In the latest attempt to confront the growing power demands of wireless communications, a research team from the University of Electro-Communications in Japan has invented a fiber optic system that transmits both data and power over the same cable. The research team, led by Motoharu Matsuura, has shown that the new system is capable of sending up to 60 watts over a distance of 300 meters. The researchers suggest that the fiber optic cable would be ideal for the growing infrastructure behind small cells—low-power, short-range radio terminals that backhaul data from the edge of a wireless network. read more |
|
|
|
Breakthrough enables ultra fast transport of electrical charges in polymers A research team at Umeå University has showed, for the first time, that a very efficient vertical charge transport in semiconducting polymers is possible by controlled chain and crystallite orientation. These pioneering results, which enhance charge transport in polymers by more than 1,000 times, have implications for organic opto-electronic devices and were recently published in the journal Advanced Materials. more |
||
|
Micro-Coax Announces Price Reduction on ARACON
Fibers and Braids
Micro-Coax announced today that the company has
significantly reduced prices, as much as forty percent, on ARACON
fibers and braids. more
This is major news in this marketplace! |
|
|
|
Nano-Coating makes Coaxial Cables Lighter: Rice University scientists replace metal with carbon nanotubes for aerospace use Common coaxial cables could be made 50 percent lighter with a new nanotube-based outer conductor developed by Rice University scientists. The Rice lab of Professor Matteo Pasquali has developed a coating that could replace the tin-coated copper braid that transmits the signal and shields the cable from electromagnetic interference. The metal braid is the heaviest component in modern coaxial data cables.- See more This could be a game changer if the coatings are robust. |
||
|
500 LEDs Bring an Interactive Textile to Life Fabric can be so much more than just the materials we use to keep ourselves clothed and warm. Fabric can be alive. And 29-year-old Swedish textile designer Malin Bobeck is an artist who breathes life into fabric. We last covered her work while she was still a student at the Swedish School of Textiles, weaving glowing fabrics with optical fibers. The story This is really exciting! |
|
|
|
Shocking! 'Electric Eel' Fibers Could Power Wearable Tech Stretchy fibers that mimic electric eels could be woven into clothing to power wearable technology one day, new research suggests. In experiments, these flexible fibers produced enough power to run electronic lights and watches. Read more... |
||
|
Conductive Silicon is Used to Make Flexible Circuits |
||
|
Can Carbon Nanotubes Replace Copper? This is the BIG question! Now, a new technology, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), is emerging that could someday become a lightweight alternative to copper wire or conductive shielding in automotive, aerospace and defense applications. A carbon nanotube is composed of a single layer of carbon atoms in a cylindrical configuration. The tubes can be single-walled or multiwalled. CNTs have been constructed with a length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000-to-1. read the article |
|
|
|
Manufacturing Wearable Computers with 3D-Printed Textiles |
||
|
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USING CONDUCTIVE ADHESIVE FIBERS AS A DATA INTERFACE United States Patent Application 20150380843 Abstract: An apparatus and method for using conductive adhesive fibers as a data interface are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: a first array of conductive adhesive fiber fastener pads configured for attachment to a first item; a second array of conductive adhesive fiber fastener pads configured for attachment to a second item, each pad of the first and second array being fabricated with a hook or loop removable fastener, each removable fastener being electrically conductive, the first array of pads being arranged to align with the second array of pads to create a plurality of independent electrical connections when the first item is removably attached to the second item, the plurality of independent electrical connections establishing a data interface connection between the first item and the second item. link |
ARACON: The strength of KEVLAR® brand fiber with the conductivity of metal www.araconfiber.com |
|
|
LiU researchers create electronic plants Using semi-conductive polymers, both analog and digital electronic circuits can be created inside living flowers, bushes and trees, as researchers at Linköping University Laboratory for Organic Electronics have shown. The results are being published in Science Advances. With the help of the channels that distribute water and nutrients in plants, the research group at the Laboratory for Organic Electronics, under the leadership of Professor Magnus Berggren, have built the key components of electronic circuits. In an article in Science Advances, they show how roses can produce both analog and digital electronic circuits, which over the long term could be used, for example, to regulate the plant’s physiology. more Editor's comments: Now the big question is whether we, as a species, will have the wisdom to use this for good or for evil. |
||
|
Bonded wire suits medical apps |
||
|
Patent pending conductive fiber/textile transistor available for licensing
The Italian National Research Council announces a
patent pending technology available for licensing.
The proposed invention relates to a conductive fiber material
that has been obtained starting from a textile fiber, that can be
natural or artificial. Such fiber can be modified by
functionalization with metal nanoparticles and by treatment with a
conductive polymer. Both these treatments contribute to make
this fiber conductive at the level of a metal wire, thus enabling the
use of these fibers for making electrical connections in textile forms.
In addition, starting from this fiber, also the concept
of textile transistor has been developed, thus providing the
basic block of any complex electronic circuit in textile
form. PFor information, contact: Paolo
Foà. Managing partner, N&G Consulting, Technology Transfer
and Licensing; Corso Di Porta Vittoria, 9; 20122 Milano - Italy
|
|
|
|
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND THE INDUSTRIAL FABRICS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL TO HOST FIRST-EVER SMART FABRICS SUMMIT read details on our website, here: http://www.cfibermfg.com/releases |
||
|
Sensing a Change: Q&A with Deepak Prakash, Global Director of Marketing for Digital Health at Vancive Medical Technologies As the Council has discussed previously, this is an area ripe for innovation and inclusion of conductive fibers. Read Deepak's article here. |
||
|
Drew Freed Appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Micro-Coax |
||
|
Beki-Shield® stainless steel fibers for conductive plastics Beki-Shield® is a stainless steel filler material used in plastic compounds to provide electrical conductive properties. They can be used as a master-batch and have been designed for easy dispersion into the polymer matrix for both injection molding (dry blend) and for compounding. Beki-Shield® is also available in rovings. information |
||
|
Flexible sensors come to market thanks to tens of millions of investment
|
ARACON: The strength of KEVLAR® brand fiber with the conductivity of metal www.araconfiber.com |
|
|
Functional catalyst for alternative fuel source by depositing nanosheets on a flexible carbon cloth
|
|
|
|
New nanomaterial maintains conductivity in 3-D
|
|
|
|
New Layering Process Brings Graphene's 2D
Properties to the 3D World
|
|
|
|
Capacitive Fabrics Are Creating Batteries You Can Wear |
||
|
Nanotube Fibers May Restore Electrical Health To
Damaged Hearts And Disrupted Brain Communication |
||
|
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. . |
||
|
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 |
|
|
|
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
|
||
|
Tiny wires could provide a big energy boost |
|
|
|
Fibers Made by Transforming Materials |
|
|
|
New technology using silver may hold key to
electronics advances |
||
|
Google Wants You to Control Your Gadgets with
Finger Gestures, Conductive Clothing |
||
|
Conductive Fiber Used
for Google Pocket Mouse |
||
|
Unlocking the creation of wearable electronic devices |
Vesti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Epinicion Technologies, LLC
|
|
|
Top 9 Things You Didn’t Know about Carbon
Fiber, Source: DOE |
|
|
|
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 |
||
|
Graphene paint could power homes of the future Editorial conmment: This is really exciting. Now let's put this on a fiber and get a fiber circuit. the story
|
|
|
|
The Economist
magazine publishes overview article about conductive fibers and your
trade association. |
CFMC MEMBERSHIP CFMC is built around three core constituencies: (1) Manufacturers, (2) Academic and Research and Development members, and (3) Application users or customers of conductive fibers. We offer three levels of membership to accommodate these constituencies: active, associate, and allied. Isn't it time you joined? Contact us for Membership Information |
|
|
CLICK HERE FOR OUR NEWS CACHE: ARCHIVED (less recent) POPULAR ARTICLES |
||
|
© CFMC, 2009-2018, Conductive Fiber Manufacturers Council™ (spark image © IStock), website by TMMS |
|||||||||
Advanced Functional Fabrics of America
Rice
IFAI
NewOrleans
AFMA
etc