Scientists created a silk thread coated with a conductive plastic material that brings us one step closer to clothing that can generate electricity and act as chargers for example.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have produced a common silk thread coated with a carbon-based conductive polymer, the results have been published at Advanced Science.
Thermoelectric fabrics can convert the temperature difference between our body and the environment into electrical potential, but to be used on the body, it needs to be highly safe and flexible.
“We found the missing piece of the puzzle to make an ideal yarn – a type of polymer that had recently been discovered. It has excellent performance stability in contact with air, while also having a very good ability to conduct electricity. By using polymers, we do not need rare earth metals, which are common in electronics,” explained Mariavittoria Craighero, PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology and author of the study.
To test the fabric produced, the researchers made a button sewn with the conductive thread and a piece of fabric made with the thread – both sewn by hand, which took about four days.
“After seven washes, the thread retained two thirds of its conductive properties. This is a very good result, although it needs to be significantly improved before it becomes commercially interesting,” added Craighero.
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This content was originally published in Silk thread can transform clothes into chargers on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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