A Review of Electro Conductive Textiles Utilizing the Dip-Coating Technique: Their Functionality, Durability and Sustainability

Abstract

The presented review summarizes recent studies in the field of electro conductive textiles as an essential part of lightweight and flexible textile-based electronics (so called e-textiles), with the main focus on a relatively simple and low-cost dip-coating technique that can easily be integrated into an existing textile finishing plant. Herein, numerous electro conductive compounds are discussed, including intrinsically conductive polymers, carbon-based materials, metal, and metal-based nanomaterials, as well as their combinations, with their advantages and drawbacks in contributing to the sectors of healthcare, military, security, fitness, entertainment, environmental, and fashion, for applications such as energy harvesting, energy storage, real-time health and human motion monitoring, personal thermal management, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielding, wireless communication, light emitting, tracking, etc. The greatest challenge is related to the wash and wear durability of the conductive compounds and their unreduced performance during the textiles’ lifetimes, which includes the action of water, high temperature, detergents, mechanical forces, repeated bending, rubbing, sweat, etc. Besides electrical conductivity, the applied compounds also influence the physical-mechanical, optical, morphological, and comfort properties of textiles, depending on the type and concentration of the compound, the number of applied layers, the process parameters, as well as additional protective coatings. Finally, the sustainability and end-of-life of e-textiles are critically discussed in terms of the circular economy and eco-design, since these aspects are mainly neglected, although e-textile’ waste could become a huge problem in the future when their mass production starts.

Soft Fiber Electronics Based on Semiconducting Polymer

“…Previous studies have shown that thin films may be uniformly deposited on fibers using dipcoating. 195 However, the performance of fiber-shaped devices fabricated using this technology cannot be compared to the performance of conventional planar devices. The traditional white light OLED has a serial structure, and its light emitting layer (EML) is 2−3 times thicker than that of a single-color OLED, making its use in fibers challenging.…”

“…However, due to the immaturity of the structure and process, the production of optical fibers based on white OLEDs confronts remarkable challenges. Previous studies have shown that thin films may be uniformly deposited on fibers using dip-coating . However, the performance of fiber-shaped devices fabricated using this technology cannot be compared to the performance of conventional planar devices.…”

Evolution of Surface Engineering in the Development of Textile-Based EMI Shields─A Review

“…Particle-dispersed functional resin started to gain popularity with the increasing demand for durable coatings that can be easily processed. 82 Functional coating-based textiles could be considered as the third-generation materials in textile-based EMI shields, after metal yarn-and conducting polymer-incorporated textiles. They had several advantages over conducting-polymer incorporated textiles like tailorable property profile, enhanced durability to washing, facile coating techniques, and high chances of commercialization.…”

“…The same was observed in the coating domain, i.e., particles were dispersed in coating resins to produce functional coatings. Particle-dispersed functional resin started to gain popularity with the increasing demand for durable coatings that can be easily processed . Functional coating-based textiles could be considered as the third-generation materials in textile-based EMI shields, after metal yarn- and conducting polymer-incorporated textiles.…”

Water-Borne Carbonaceous Coatings on Conducting Polymer-Modified Cotton Fabrics To Attenuate Electromagnetic Radiation

“…The literature shows extensive variation in the stoichiometry of reactants, substrate effects, dopant effects, etc., on EMI shielding properties. , The field slowly evolved by deploying lossy fillers like BaTiO 3 , Fe 3 O 4 , Co–Ni, etc., to enhance the absorption. However, most of the studies reported in the literature show EMI shielding behavior only in the lower frequency ranges. − Such data are not relevant to the currently existing technologies (like 4G and 5G) which operate at much higher frequencies. The behavior of conducting polymer-modified fabrics at high frequencies would be interesting to investigate as the operating mechanisms of attenuation are different. , …”