OSU researchers develop new fabric for smart clothing

(NOVEMBER 15, 2020) Electronic shirts that keep the wearer comfortably warm or cool are one step closer to your closet. Medical fabrics that deliver drugs or monitor the condition of a wound could soon be common, too. Soon these things may be manufactured more efficiently thanks to a key advance by Oregon State University researchers.

The new idea involves inkjet printing and materials with a crystal structure that were discovered nearly two centuries ago. The researchers learned new ways to apply circuitry directly onto cloth. This means the cloth will be better, but the cloth will cost less to make.

Chih-Hung Chang is a professor of chemical engineering at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Chang says a challenge has been that some fabric is porous. That means air and water can pass through. Other types of fabric are nonporous; air and water cannot pass through. Chang says they needed a fabric that has a surface that’s both porous and non-uniform. However, that can be difficult and expensive to make. It requires a lot of heat and energy. Clothing also needs a fabric that is flexible to wear.

Researchers at OSU and Rutgers University created a new ink. It changes under heat to have a crystal structure that works like a resistor. Chang's team can use this new ink to print circuits on polyester fabric. The resistors help to control the temperature of the fabric. That means that the wearer can stay warmer or cooler. And the new process is cheaper so smart clothing of the future can be more affordable.