Clevertex - Grado Zero Espace Srl
Clevertex - Grado Zero Espace Srl
Clevertex - Grado Zero Espace Srl
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
The Textile Research Institute of Thuringia-Vogtland (TITV) succeeded in producing conductive<br />
threads by coating a conventional yarn with metal layers, called ELITEX ® . They used Shieldex Nylon<br />
66 threads that are coated with a thin silver layer as base material. With a specific conductivity of<br />
about 1.2 10 3 Scm -1 , the threads have a specific resistance of about 8.34 Ohm mm 2 per metre. Hence,<br />
the resistivity is too low to conduct current.<br />
Therefore, researchers at the institute modified these fibres with a galvanic and electrochemical aftertreatment.<br />
They additionally coated the fibres with gold, platinum, copper and silver. With these<br />
modified and fortified metal layers it is possible to use the threads as material for conductors, sensors<br />
and actuators [18, 19].<br />
The Swiss company Swicofil AG Textile Services is specialised in producing and commercialising<br />
aluminium metallised Nylon, polyester, acetate or cotton yarns, or a combination of those. In a first<br />
step of the coating process aluminium metallised polyester film is lacquered with protective epoxy<br />
resin to keep a shiny looking metallised surface. In order to achieve different colours, appropriated<br />
quantities of metal complex dyestuffs are mixed with the resin. Subsequently, the protective lacquered<br />
film is cut into small “pancakes”. A “pancake” role is slit into various sizes while a film passes through<br />
a cutting head and is wound on a spool. In a final step, this metallic yarn is twisted, covered or<br />
supported with conventional yarn [20].<br />
DuPont also produces metal coated fibres, commercialised under the tradename ARACON ® .<br />
ARACON ® fibres are based on the same technology that created DuPont KEVLAR ® , a high-strength<br />
para-aramid fibre. With the addition of nickel, copper and silver coatings of varying thicknesses, these<br />
fibres provide a versatile combination of physical and electrical properties for a variety of applications.<br />
The fibres are one of the conductive fibres used in the SmartShirt (see chapter 2.1.4.3). Lately,<br />
DuPont has sold its ARACON ® technology to Micro-Croax Corp..<br />
The company Syscom Technology, Inc., introduced a high-strength and high-modulus Zylon fibre<br />
coated with a metal under the brandname AmberStrand to the market [21].<br />
12