Effect of weft density and percentage of stainless steel fiber content of weft yarn on electrical properties of woven fabric strain sensors

Abstract

Textile-based strain sensors have been used in smart textiles frequently. In this study, effect of percentage of stainless steel fiber of spun yarn (i.e. 28 and 40%) and weft density (i.e. 14, 18, and 22 per cm) of conductive yarn on performance and sensitivity of woven fabrics strain sensor under tensile cyclic loading in 3 mm elongation and also behavior of woven fabric strain sensors under simple tensile loading, was studied. Our finding showed the interaction between weft density and percentage of conductive fiber of spun yarns on performance and sensitivity of strain sensors under cyclic loading. Samples prepared by conductive yarns with 40% stainless steel fiber showed no clear cyclic variation in 18 and 22 weft per cm. This trend for samples woven with conductive yarn with 28% stainless steel fiber was only observed in 22 weft per cm. All samples showed the same trend of resistance variation during simple tensile loading, although the level of resistance variation was different. The slope of resistance variation during tensile cyclic loading confirmed plastic deformation of samples. Finally, by comparing the sensitivity of strain sensors during cyclic loading no obvious advantage was obtained for samples woven with conductive yarn with 40% stainless steel fiber compared with samples woven with conductive yarn with 28% stainless steel fiber.