A thin-film polymer heating element with a continuous silver nanowires network embedded inside

Abstract

Abstract This study presents a method for fabricating a film-based heating element using a polymer material with an array of intersecting conductive elements embedded within it. Track-etched membranes (TM) with a thickness of 10 μm were used as the template, and their pores were filled with metal, forming a three-dimensional grid. Due to the unique manufacturing process of TM, the pores inside intersect with each other, allowing for contacts between individual nanowires (NWs) when filled with metal. Experimental results demonstrated that filling the TM pores with silver allows for heating temperatures up to 78 degrees without deformation or damage to the heating element. The resulting flexible heating element can be utilized in medical devices for heating purposes or as a thermal barrier coating.