Electrical and electrothermal characterization of silver-coated Vectran and Amberstrand yarns for wearable heating

Abstract

The development and manufacturing of conductive fibers, yarns, and fabrics is increasing exponentially due to their multiple applications in wearable electronic textiles in sensors, actuators, data processing, communication, and energy storage. This paper investigated the electrical and electrothermal properties of Liberator 40 yarns and Amberstrand 166 conductive yarns for application in wearable heating textiles. The aim of the study was to find a flexible material for protective wearable resistive heating cloths in cold environments. The analytical results demonstrate that the Liberator 40 conductive yarn gave better heating performance than the Amberstrand 166 conductive yarn due to its electrothermal characteristics. In addition, Liberator 40 conductive yarn had higher long-term durability, washing resistance, and thermal stability than Amberstrand 166 conductive yarn. The average surface temperature of both the Liberator 40 and Amberstrand 166-based wearable heating fabrics was 40°C and 34.5°C at a 9 V DC power supply, respectively. Therefore, both the conductive yarns are suitable to be applied as resistive heating elements for localized wearable heating textiles.