Applicability of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) impregnated polyurethane nanoweb as a transmission line for smart textiles

Abstract

Smart clothing, which can be manufactured based on smart textiles with electrical conductivity, can be used as a transmission line to transmit signals. The performance of the fabricated textile-based transmission line can be determined by evaluating light-emitting diode consistency. In this study, a textile-based transmission line was fabricated by impregnating two concentrations of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) to impart the electrical conductivity to a polyurethane (PU) nanoweb. Three conditions of thermal treatment were conducted to decrease the electrical resistance, and the thickness, electrical, surface, and chemical properties were evaluated. The thickness of the specimens tended to decrease at the low concentration, and the thermal treatment temperature increased. The linear resistances decreased from 1580 Ω/cm (PA) to 310.6 Ω/cm (PB120) as the concentration of PEDOT: PSS and thermal treatment temperature increased. Field emission scanning electron microscope images show that the PU nanoweb was uniformly and successfully impregnated with PEDOT: PSS. Raman spectra indicate an effect of the thermal treatment on the structural change of the PEDOT chains, which suggests an electrical resistance change of specimens. As a result, the optimum concentration of the PEDOT: PSS impregnated PU nanoweb as a transmission line for smart textiles is 2.6 wt%, and the thermal treatment temperature is 120℃. The performance of the textile-based transmission line (PB120) according to the length was higher as the length of the specimen was shorter. The highest consistency was 51 lm/m2 (50 mm), and the lowest was 45 lm/m2 (150 mm). Therefore, the PEDOT: PSS/PU nanoweb has applicability and feasibility as a transmission line.