New Yarn Conducts Electricity 44
sciencehabit writes: Researchers report the creation of an ultrathin, fabric circuit that keeps high conductivity even while bending and stretching as much as yoga pants. The fiber's core mimics spandex, consisting of an elastic synthetic thread—polyurethane—twinned by two cotton yarns. These stretchy strings were then dipped in silver nanoparticles to instill conductivity and then liquid silicone to encase everything. This silver nanoyarn could stretch as much as spandex—500% of its original length—and retain a high conductivity (688 siemens per centimeter), the team reports online this month in ACS Nano. That's 34 times the conductivity and five times the flexibility seen with prior attempts at nanowires made from graphene. The fibers kept high conductivity after being bent 1000 times or wrapped around fingers. The team used their yarn to link light-emitting diodes within foldable plastic, meaning the fibers might serve as flexible wiring in new-age curved TVs, stretchable digital screens, or electronic clothing.
yoga pants (Score:2)
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I've often thought I should lobby for spandex laws, I mean, if you put on spandex and can hear it "scream", you shouldn't be wearing spandex.
Man...we have a serious obesity problem here in the US, and I don't see it stabilizing yet, much less getting better.
On the other hand, if we used the electrical conductivity
The sticky comparison question (Score:3)
It's electric! (Score:2)
Finaly (Score:2)
Finally there is a respectable replacement for the tin foil. Electricity conducting fabric can also act as a Faraday cage, thus tin foil can be retired.
The problem is that such electricity conducting clothes will drive magnetic scanners crazy in the airports, and we should expect the roll-out of TSA procedures to screen naked people, for such clothes will be impenetrable to the airport porn scanners.
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except tin foil hats work where there isn't any electricity. So you can't replace that. Especially for the more paranoid out there who think they can spy on you through the power lines. (which they somewhat can..)
Silver not copper (Score:2)
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Actually, silver is already used in fabrics as anti-bacterial additive (or anti-smell, depending how it's advertised) in various brands of sport clothes.
How beneficial this is for the health is another question, as it remains a heavy metal. Other nitpickers say it gets washed out after only a few wash cycles (and consequently pollute the waste water).
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Silver is often beneficial for health. Before antibiotics there was silver. Worked fine.
Today there are silver colloids available for various internal and external disturbances. There is a silver compound being used in some hospitals on various railings and things people touch a lot. It kills germs, even those like MRSA that are hard to kill. Germs are unable to become resistant to the killing power of silver. People with various symptoms use silver colloids as eye drops, nasal irrigating fluid, for wound p
Awesome Villian Tech (Score:2)
The X-Men will come to fear the true source of my power...
I AM ELECROCHET!
Taser-Proof Clothing at Last (Score:5, Interesting)
This is just what we need to wear to taser-proof ourselves. The conductive fibres should be able to short out the high voltage more effectively than our bodies. We might get a little burned---I'm not sure how much power (as opposed to voltage) tasers put out---but I suspect that's going to be preferable to the alternative electrocuting effects. I guess if it works the police will ban it the same as bullet-proof vests.
Re:Taser-Proof Clothing at Last (Score:4, Informative)
-I'm not sure how much power (as opposed to voltage) tasers put out---
The Internet says "The TASER® devices release an electric current (TASER® C2 - 30 seconds of 50,000 volts at 7 watts, TASER® M26c - 5 seconds of 50,000 volts at 26 watts)". The low wattage makes sense ecause they're powered by 9v batteries.
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This is just what we need to wear to taser-proof ourselves
and this accomplishes what, exactly, other than a rapid escalation of force in any confrontation with the police?
Instil? (Score:1)
[......] dipped in silver nanoparticles to instill conductivity [......]
instil
verb
1. gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude) in a person's mind.
2. put (a substance) into something in the form of liquid drops.
Which sense of instil did you mean?
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Instill
transitive verb
1. to cause to enter drop by drop (ex. instill medication into the infected eye)
2. to impart gradually (ex. instilling a love of learning in children)
(Source [thefreedictionary.com])
LED Clothes are fun! (Score:2)
Other ideas, the Customs officers could have metal detection technology built right into their garment/gloves etc. Other detectors too, the
That's Nothing... (Score:1)
Old yarn conducts orchestras.
Is this a late 4.1 joke? (Score:2)
Are they really saying fat guys like me can be electrifying?
The good news is that... (Score:2)
After an EMP attack, the phone in your pocket would still work. The bad news is that even if you could locate the eight or so other hipsters who might be wearing conductive pants, the communications infrastructure would still be fried.
Your Jacket is Now Dry (Score:2)
500% !!! (Score:2)
"500% of its original length"
Wait a minute; that's five times the original length. Are we supposed to be impressed by the big number? Well let's make it bigger: 500.000%
The summary begins with "Researchers report...", but this sounds like marketing exaggeration. Is there anything in the summary but useless numbers and facts followed by wild speculation?
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In short: I have f
aw ohh (Score:2)
Teletubbies tech!
siemens per cm? (Score:2)
That's a valid unit, sure, but... why?
You show this to anyone who works with electronics and the first thing they are going to do is ask that be turned into ohms/meter, just like any other form of wire. Siemens are a materials-scientist unit, not an electronics unit.
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Ohm-cm would be better.
Heated clothing (Score:2)
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Why imagine when you can just buy them? Heated socks and vests and jackets and pants are hardly new. I got mine from Gerbing years ago but there are other brands as well.
Oh HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY! (Score:2)
A new way to make headphones and earbuds and everything else even more flaky and more non-repairable. I replaced the horse-hair wire of my daughter's headphones with double-ought wire. She doesn't use them anymore... but they still work!