Investigation of Silver Conductive Ink Printable on Textiles for Wearable Electronics Applications: Effect of Silver Concentration and Polymer Matrix

This research paper presents the results of an investigation into the formulation of silver conductive ink for use in inkjet printing. The aim of the study is to develop an environmentally friendly and cost-effective ink using a simple and scalable method. To achieve this, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized through a co-reduction approach using starch and temperature, and their physical and chemical properties were examined. The silver conductive ink was prepared with different amounts of AgNPs, using a sodium alginate/ Polyethylene glycol (Na-alginate/PEG) suspension matrix. In order to ensure the suitability of ink for the inkjet printing technique, the viscosity measurement was performed. According to the results, three formulations were produced and printed on Polyurethane-coated polyester (PU-coated PET) by a syringe disposition system. The electrical measurements showed that the minimum sheet resistance of printed patterns prepared with 3%wt of AgNPs was 0.008 Ω/cm and 0.205 Ω/cm with 20wt% and 40wt% of Na-alginate, respectively. These values are sufficient to power an LED connected to the printed coated fabric. Furthermore, the electrical properties of the printed patterns remained acceptable for electronic applications even after mechanical stress up to 20%. This research has the potential to pave the way for several future applications of printed electronic textiles where environmentally friendly, low-cost, and higher electrical performance inks are required.