Electrical Characterization of Conductive Threads for Textile Electronics

In recent years, advancements in technology are constantly driving the miniaturization of electronic devices, not only in the renowned domain of Internet-of-Things but also in other fields such as that of flexible and textile electronics. As the latter forms a great ecosystem for new devices, that could be functional such as heating garments or sensory, many suppliers have already started producing and bringing to market conductive threads that can be used by researchers and the mass public for their work. However, to date, no extensive characterization has been carried out with respect to the electrical performance of such threads and that is what this article is aiming to amend. Four commercially available threads by two different suppliers were put under test, to establish their limitations in terms of maximum power handling, both continuous and instantaneous. They were subsequently examined at a microscopic scale as well, to verify any potential caveats in their design, and any hidden limitations. A preliminary profile for each of the four threads was successfully established.