FOCUS BUSINESS & RESEARCH NEWS


Laser printing produces waterproof e-textiles cheaply and rapidly


S


cientists from RMIT University, in Australia, have developed a cost- efficient and scaleable method


for rapidly fabricating textiles that are embedded with energy storage devices. The laser printing method was described


in Scientific Reports in August. In just three minutes, the technique can be used to produce a 10 x 10cm smart textile patch that is waterproof, stretchable and readily integrated with energy harvesting technologies. The technology enables graphene


supercapacitors – powerful and long- lasting energy storage devices that are easily combined with solar or other sources of power – to be laser printed directly onto textiles. In a proof-of-concept, the researchers connected the supercapacitor with a solar cell, delivering an efficient, washable and self-powering smart fabric that overcomes the key drawbacks of existing e-textile energy storage technologies. The growing smart fabrics industry has


diverse applications in wearable devices for the consumer and healthcare sectors – from monitoring vital signs of patients, to tracking the location and health status of soldiers in the field, and monitoring pilots or drivers for fatigue. Dr Litty Thekkakara, a researcher in


RMIT’s School of Science, said smart textiles with built-in sensing, wireless communication or health monitoring technology called for robust and reliable energy solutions.


The new technology can produce a 10 x 10cm smart textile patch in just three minutes


‘Current approaches to smart textile


energy storage, like stitching batteries into garments or using e-fibres, can be cumbersome and heavy, and can also have capacity issues,’ Thekkakara said. ‘These electronic components can also


suffer short-circuits and mechanical failure when they come into contact with sweat or


with moisture from the environment. ‘Our graphene-based supercapacitor is


not only fully washable, it can store the energy needed to power an intelligent garment – and it can be made in minutes at large scale,’ she continued. ‘By solving the energy storage-related


challenges of e-textiles, we hope to power the next generation of wearable technology and intelligent clothing.’ The research analysed the performance


of the proof-of-concept smart textile across a range of mechanical, temperature and washability tests and found that it


‘Our graphene-based supercapacitor is not only fully washable, it can store the energy needed to power an intelligent garment’


remained both stable and efficient. Min Gu, RMIT honorary professor and distinguished professor at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, said that the technology could enable real-time storage of renewable energies for e-textiles.


‘It also opens the possibility for


faster roll-to-roll fabrication, with the use of advanced laser printing based on multifocal fabrication and machine learning techniques,’ Gu said. The researchers have applied for a


patent for the new technology, which was developed with support from RMIT seed fund and design hub project grants.


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