Development of Conductive Fabrics by Using Silver Nanoparticles for Electronic Applications

Abstract

Conductive fabrics are widely used in electronic devices and electronic applications. Most the conductive fabrics are made by the coating of conductive materials on textile materials, but no one has considered the effect of the base/substrate on the conductivity. The base of conductive material is the key factor in its effectiveness. The concentration of the binder also plays a significant role in the conductivity. In this research, conductive fabrics were prepared by coating them with silver nanoparticles. Three diverse types of fabrics were selected: cotton, polyester, and nylon. Silver nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of the fabric by the dip and dry method. The effect of three different molarities of silver nitrate, and three different binder concentrations, on the electrical conductivity was investigated. The influence of washing on the conductivity was also measured. Scanning electron microscopy was carried out to analyze the surface of the fabric. The results showed that conductivity is directly affected by the molarity of silver nitrate and an inverse relationship was found for the binder concentration. The maximum conductivity obtained was 208 × 10−5 Siemens/cm. It was also observed that the conductivity decreases after washing. Further, it was also noted that the increase in binder concentration improved the washing fastness. These conductive fabrics find their application in various fields, including EMI shielding, lightweight batteries and molecular electronic devices.