Veronica Malm, 2010 Chalmers / 2014 HB (funding HB)

Title: Functional textile coatings containing flake-shaped pigments

The focus within this project is to study functional textile coatings containing flake shaped effect pigments. One part of the project focuses on the possibility to develop textiles with optical effects in form of angle-dependent colour-changes. This, by using multi-layered mica-based pigments and traditional textile coating methods with possibility for industrial up-scaling. The effect is generated by the platelet-shaped construction with alternating layers of metal oxides having different refractive indexes creating the optical phenomena of interference. Optimal conditions such as plane-parallel orientation to a smooth surface is a prerequisite for achieving these effects, something that textile surfaces normally lacks. This part of research was presented in a licentiate thesis "Colour-Changing Textile Coatings Containing Multi-Layered Mica Pigments -an experimental study" which contributes to the understanding of how textile structures, substrate colour, coating formulation and process parameters affects the optical properties. The succeeding part of the project focuses on metal-based pigments having electrically conductive properties, for possible applications within smart textiles. Commercially available and in-house development of conductive pastes is investigated, which includes studies in how to optimize the pigment pastes, construction of applied conductive material and what coating parameters that influence the flexibility and durability in terms of conductivity.

Sina Seipel, 2014 (funding Borås Stad)

Title: Development and application of photochromic inkjet ink as smart textile UV-sensor

The aim of the project is the development and resource-efficient production of a textile UV sensor using digital inkjet printing and radiation curing. A smart textile UV-sensor can warn the user of harmful UV-radiation in situations where UV-light is not an obvious threat (cloudy day/shielded by windows). Photochromic dyes are used as sensor material, which can reversibly change colour upon activation by UV-light. Digital inkjet printing as future production process especially profits the production of cost-intensive high-end products such as smart textile sensors. It enables a flexible and integrated production, while saving resources like water, chemicals and energy and therewith reducing the amount of produced waste. To further promote the advantages of inkjet printing as a resource-saving and economic production technique, a UV-curable carrier is chosen in the formulation of the photochromic inkjet ink. Using radiation instead of thermal energy as curing source again saves energy and therewith costs.
Specific challenges in this project include ink development and jettability, the impact of the dual role of UV-light as curer and activator of the textile sensor, as well as the improvement of the sensor durability by stabilization against photooxidation.

Karin Rundqvist, 2014 (funding SSF)

Title: Solutions for manufacturing and integration of textile sensors in clothing, enabling monitoring of physiological electrical signals (ECG, EEG and EMG)

This PhD project is part of a multidisciplinary research project together with Sahlgrenska Academy, Acreo Swedish ICT, Swerea IVF and University of Borås/the Swedish School of Textiles.  The overall aim of the project is to improve the evaluation of the treatment effect for patients suffering of neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. The evaluation of the treatment effect for patients with epilepsy are complicated to assess, due to that it is based on the patients’ personal report of seizure frequency and severity, which has been shown to be highly unreliable. The aim of the PhD project is to research, within the field textile material technology, solutions for manufacturing and integration of textile sensors in clothing, enabling monitoring of physiological electrical signals and movement. The problems that have to be addressed are material selection, production techniques, wearability, comfort and the possibility to wash. Novel textile based sensors, which are strategically placed in a garment, will enable continuous measurement, both at hospital and at home making it possible to improve diagnosis, monitor progression of the disease and/or tailor treatments. The importance of garment fit in development of sensor garments has been identified to ensure sensor performance, both for textile electrodes measuring physiological electrical signals and for movement sensors, such as strain sensors. Creating a method for individualized sensor garment production where the sensors are correctly placed and the garment is fitting the individual patient includes steps such as 3D body scanning and 3D simulations for garment fit.

Felicia Syren, 2014 (funding SSF)

Title:  Development of textile sensors for monitoring movements within health care applications

This PhD project is part of a multidisciplinary research project together with Sahlgrenska Academy, Acreo Swedish ICT, Swerea IVF and University of Borås/the Swedish School of Textiles.  The overall aim of the project is to improve the evaluation of the treatment effect for patients suffering of neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. The evaluation of the treatment effect for patients with epilepsy are complicated to assess, due to that it is based on the patients’ personal report of seizure frequency and severity, which has been shown to be highly unreliable. The PhD-project focusses on 3D-printing as a tool for creating textile strain sensors aiming at monitoring human motions. Suitability of commercially available materials is investigated and novel filaments will be produced/used for 3D-printing. Experimental work will be supported by simulations and modeling. An attempt will be made to use 3D-printing as a tool for connecting electronics to textile surfaces.