Posted December 8, 2014

 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – DuPont Microcircuit Materials has introduced a suite of stretchable electronic ink materials for use in smart clothing applications and other wearable electronics. The materials provide an elegant, manufacturing-ready alternative to many traditional methods of embedding electronics in clothing, the company said.

 

The DuPont materials have been used to create thin, form-fitting circuits that can be seamlessly bonded with many standard fabrics, allowing for comfort and freedom in wearable electronic design. A working model of a biometric shirt that incorporates DuPont electronic inks was on display for the first time during Printed Electronics USA show recently in Santa Clara, Calif.

 

“We believe that this new line of DuPont stretchable electronic inks can be used in wearable electronics applications to make clothing more capable and comfortable,” said Michael Burrows, segment manager, DuPont Microcircuit Materials. “Imagine how smart athletic wear could help contribute to healthier, more active lifestyles by continuously monitoring vital information such as heart and breathing rates, calories burned and even stress level.”

 

DuPont stretchable electronic inks deliver stable performance despite repeated elongation, the company said. A third-party evaluation of fabrics that incorporate these DuPont materials to create thin electronic circuits have shown them to be washable, durable and capable of withstanding up to 100 wash cycles. These materials can be used in many common manufacturing processes to produce smart clothing, including fitness and outerwear, without significant investment, DuPont said.

 

DuPont plans to offer a full material suite of conductors, encapsulants and sensors for use in wearable electronics applications, including:

 

• DuPont PE872 stretchable conductor, which is washable with encapsulation

• DuPont PE772 stretchable, washable dielectric encapsulant

 

DuPont recently exhibited smart clothing prototypes that incorporate its stretchable electronic ink materials during the Printed Electronics USA 2014 show.  DuPont also delivered a key technical presentation titled, “Printed Wearables: Functional Inks for the Wearable World,” as well as taught a master class session titled, “Conductive Inks, Film and Transparent Conductive Film.”

 

DuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM) is a leading innovator and high-volume supplier of electronic inks and pastes that offers a broad range of printed electronic materials commercially available today. The growing portfolio of DuPont MCM electronic inks is used in many applications, including forming conductive traces, capacitor and resistor elements and dielectric and encapsulating layers that are compatible with many substrate surfaces including polymer, glass and ceramic.