A team of researchers from Washington State University (WSU) has developed a strand of fiber with the flexibility of cotton and the electric conductivity of polymer.

Designed for wearable e-textiles, the WSU team created the fiber by combining one solution composed of the synthetic polymer polyaniline, which has conductive properties, and a second solution composed of dissolved cotton cellulose from recycled T-shirts.

Source: WSU

Together, the two solutions created one flexible and electrically conductive fiber that the team is planning to incorporate into apparel as sensor patches featuring flexible circuits. Such apparel might be worn by future soldiers, firefighters and those working with chemicals or hazardous materials. Further, the team suggests the material could also be incorporated into apparel used for health monitoring and fitness.

The new fiber is detailed in the article, “A novel structural design of cellulose-based conductive composite fibers for wearable e-textiles,” which appears in the journal Carbohydrate Polymers.