The present work deals with the development of electrically conductive cotton fabrics by in-situ deposition of copper particles. The dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction techniques were employed to study the morphology of deposited copper particles. The utility of conductive fabrics was analyzed for electromagnetic shielding ability over frequency range of 30 MHz to 1.5 GHz. The electromagnetic interference shielding was found to increase with increase in number of dips, which was attributed to increased reflection of EM waves due to dense, uniform, and percolated network of conductive copper particles on the surface. The sample produced from 100 and 150 dips exhibited the maximum shielding ability of 10 dB and 13 dB, respectively. Furthermore, the role of deposited copper particles on antibacterial properties was examined against pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The S. aureus showed more sensitivity towards copper particles as zone of inhibitions increased from 9.5 to 15.5 mm. At the end, the durability of fabrics was examined against washing after application of binder. The fabrics showed good retention of the copper particles, proved by scanning electron microscopic microstructures and small loss in the conductivity of the material after washing.

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The present study deals with the deposition of silver particles onto knitted fabrics for possible applications in electrotherapy. The performance of silver-coated fabrics was evaluated based on number of properties such as electrical conductivity, physiological comfort, antibacterial, and durability. Furthermore, the conductive fabrics were subjected to various repeated extensions and change in electrical resistivity was examined to simulate the performance of electrodes under various movements of human body. With increase in extension till 80%, very small change in volume electrical resistance was observed and after 90% extension, the electrical resistance was found to increase significantly. The volume resistance was found to remain constant for repeated extensions of over 100 cycles and also there was insignificant change in electrical resistivity when constant current was applied over prolonged time. The utility of silver-coated fabrics can be expected as flexible textile electrodes in transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation electrotherapy applications.

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