Conducting polymer coated lycra

Conducting polypyrrole-coated textile based on nylon lycra has been prepared using an in situ chemical polymerisation process. Factors such as monomer, oxidant and dopant concentration, fabric sample size, temperature, polymerisation time and convective control have been investigated. The effects of these factors on the conductivity, gauge factor and stability of the polypyrrole-coated textiles are discussed. Characterisation has been carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). As the polypyrrole-coated textiles conform to the shape of the human body, they function ideally as wearable biomechanical sensors that can be used in a range of applications to monitor human motion. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.