A study on the morphology of thin copper films on para-aramid yarns and their influence on the yarn’s electro-conductive and mechanical properties

• Published in: Textile research journal 2012-09, Vol.82 (15), p.1587-1596
• Main Authors: Schwarz, Anne, Hakuzimana, Jean, Westbroek, Philippe, Mey, Gilbert De, Priniotakis, Georgios, Nyokong, Tebello, Langenhove, Lieva Van
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COATING; Conductivity; Copper; COPPER RESOURCES; DEPOSITION; ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; MORPHOLOGY; PROPERTIES; Studies; TEXTILES; Thin films; WASHING; Yarn; Yarns
• ISSN: 0040-5175; 1746-7748
• DOI: 10.1177/0040517511431291

The latest technological advances in new materials and devices enabled wearable systems to be created by utilizing textile solutions. These solutions require electro-conductive yarns as a basic component. Although the production of electro-conductive yarn is widely reported, research is still necessary to characterize them to advance their electro-conductive and mechanical properties. Hence, we served this need and characterized copper-coated para-aramid yarns produced by an in-house developed electroless deposition method. In this paper we present our investigation on the yarn’s copper layer characteristics after deposition. Furthermore, we looked, in depth, at the yarn’s electro-conductive properties before and after washing as well as their mechanical properties before and after copper deposition. We found a dependency of the copper layer morphology on its deposition time. This is directly correlated to the resulting layer thickness and hence to the yarn’s electro-conductive properties, demonstrating the autocatalytic nature of the coating process. Above that, the electro-conductive properties of the coated yarn linearly decrease with washing cycles. Furthermore, the copper coating impairs the yarn’s mechanical properties decreasing its specific stress at break by 30%.