Utility of nonwovens in the production of integrated electrical circuits via printing conductive inks

This study reports on the printing of conductive inks directly onto nonwovens to produce circuits and embedded systems. The approach adopted applies polymer thick film (PTF) processing technologies directly onto compliant, flexible, nonwoven substrates. The paper reports on the characterization of various PTF conductive inks and printed transmission lines. The performance metrics related to the circuits are impacted by the ink viscosity and by the contact angle of the ink on the surface of the nonwoven structure. These parameters dictate the manner in which the ink is distributed onto and into the substrate. The manner in which ink droplets interact with the surface of the substrate determines the mechanisms responsible for both in-plane flow and through-the-plane flow of the ink.