The luminescent principle of luminescent cloth
Researchers at Umea University in Sweden have developed a special new fabric that, in addition to being extremely lightweight, flexible and low-cost, can also glow and has a wide range of potential applications in the construction and clothing industries.
According to Fibre2Fashion, the special fabric gives off a uniform and bright yellow glow that lasts for more than 180 hours. Scientists believe it could be widely used in wearable technology.
The new fabric consists of two main parts: a polymer base with acrylic embedded in it, and a copper wire braided fabric with a silver coating. The fabric works by spraying an electrochemical light-emitting cel into a transparent textile-based electrode. At present, the most common transparent light-emitting devices are mainly organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), which require a costly vacuum manufacturing process. The new technology is simpler and cheaper.
Thomas Lanz of Umea University, Sweden, said: "Electrode fabrics are usually very rigid, but our results demonstrate that lightweight electrode fabrics can be both light-emitting over large areas and extremely flexible."