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Supported by the Department of Industry Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs, High Stretchable Conductive Ink, co-developed by Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) and National Research Council Canada (NRC), wins the 2022 Gold Edison Awards.

Current smart textiles on the market cannot have good stretchability and withstand physical deformation from stretching and high-intensity impacts. TTRI has developed a laundry-resistant stretchable conductive ink by mixing highly stretchable polymers to improve the stability of conductive ink. Therefore, the stretchable conductive ink can be applied to smart textiles with different functions, such as heating modules, light display modules, motion detection, and physiological sensing.

In addition, the stretchable conductive ink has passed 'Testing Method for Dimensional Changes of Fabrics after Home Laundering (AATCC 135A)'. The testing process includes comprehensive tests of product durability, such as twisting, stretching, flexing, extruding, peeling, and oxidation.

The development of stretchable conductive ink also incorporates an eco-friendly back-end manufacturing procedure. Instead of using highly toxic solvents, such as toluene or acetone, the stretchable conductive ink could be cleaned with commercially available ethanol as a cleaner, which is friendlier to product line operators and the environment.

TTRI has also shortened the mass production time of the stretchable conductive ink from 2 months to 5 days and can produce 5 to 8 kg of ink per day. Currently, TTRI has transferred the technology to San Fang Industry Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of flexible film for printed circuit boards and other smart textile applications.