Today’s researchers have come up with a way to print a whole integrated circuit directly onto fabric. This opens up a range of possibilities especially when it comes to health and well- being. Printing a circuit onto fabric is not entirely new. Previously, circuits could be put onto fabric but that made them uncomfortable and not to mention they got damaged during washing.

With today’s technology, researchers are able to print an entire circuit onto fabric and not only this, the fabric is not uncomfortable to wear nor does it get affected during washes.

How the circuit onto fabric:

These circuits have been printed using inks that are not only safe but also can be washed without the circuit being destroyed.

Since the circuit is printed on the fabric, it is stretchable and breathable and comfortable to wear. All this is done using conventional printing techniques.

Basically, the ink used to print the circuit onto fabric is called graphene, which is a two-dimensional carbon. With this ink used, the integrated circuit onto fabric can last for up to 20 washes.

The Process of circuit onto fabric:

Graphene with other components is used to print the entire circuit onto the fabric. Scientists used low boiling point inks to print circuit onto fabric directly on to the fabric. It was additionally discovered that by adjusting the roughness of the material, they were able to increase the effectiveness of the printed circuit.

Because of this, researchers were able to integrate entire circuits instead of only single transistors. This integrated circuit onto fabric was able to combine both active and passive materials.

In the Past….

What is currently available today, are electronic devices that depend on hard components such as rubber and plastic. These often times are uncomfortable to wear and can get destroyed in the washing machine.

The inks that are currently used are toxic and not particularly safe to wear on the skin. But with graphene, the circuit on to fabric can be washed without damaging it, it is environmentally safe and is safe to wear.

Uses of the integrated circuit onto fabric:

Because of the circuit’s versatility, it can be used in a host of places such as health and well-being, it can be used as wearable energy harvesting, wearable technology, fashion and also military garments.

All these areas open up a wide range of possible uses for the printable circuit.

With nanotechnology, these circuit on fabric can be used to incorporate electronics into clothing such as sensors and displays. With this all in the future, clothing can be made interactive.

The research behind the integrated circuit onto fabric has been supported by a number of institutions and is also in the process of being commercialized.