Behavior of Printed Conductive Structures Under Cyclic Load Realized by Direct-Write on a Textile Substrate

Abstract

In this work, the stretchability of conductive tracks realized by Direct-Write on a thermoplastic polyurethane foil and laminated onto a textile, is analyzed. Samples of printed tracks are subjected to the mechanical cyclic stress test, and their electrical resistance is measured. Also, the mechanical properties of polyurethane foil as well as foil laminated onto a textile are measured. Results show, that the mechanical properties of a substrate play an important role in the electrical behavior of printed tracks, and therefore such stretchable systems should be always analyzed as a combination of its parts rather than just in terms of conductor properties.