Wash Analyses of Flexible and Wearable Printed Circuits for E-Textiles and Their Prediction of Damages

The development of specific user-based wearable smart textiles is gaining interest. The reliability and washability of e-textiles, especially electronic-based components of e-textiles, are under particular investigation nowadays. This is because e-textiles cannot be washed like normal textile products and washing electronic products is not common practice in our daily life. To adopt the e-textile products in our daily life, new standards, based on product usage, should be developed especially for flexibility and washability. The wearable motherboards are the main component for e-textile systems. They should be washing reliable and flexible for better adoption in the system. In this manuscript, flexible wearable PCBs were prepared with different conductive track widths and protected with silicone coatings. The samples were washed for 50 washing cycles in the household washing machine, and provoked damages were investigated. The PCBs were also investigated for bending tests (simulating mechanical stresses in the washing machine), and resultant damages were discussed and co-related with washing damages. The bending test was performed by bending the FPCBs at 90 degrees over the circular rod and under the known hanging load.

Automated summary

The development of user-based wearable smart textiles is gaining interest, with a focus on the reliability and washability of e-textiles and electronic components. New standards are needed for product usage, especially in terms of flexibility and washability, in order to adopt these products into daily life effectively. Wearable motherboards play a key role in the system and should be washing reliable and flexible for better adoption.