An Investigation of the Physical and Electrical Properties of Knitted Electrodes When Subjected to Multi-Axial Compression and Abrasion

Abstract

Knitted electrodes are a key component to many electronic textiles including sensing devices, such as pressure sensors and heart rate monitors; therefore, it is essential to assess the electrical performance of these knitted electrodes under different mechanical loads to understand their performance during use. The electrical properties of the electrodes could change while deforming, due to an applied load, which could occur in the uniaxial direction (while stretched) or multiaxial direction (while compressed). The properties and performance of the electrodes could also change over time when rubbed against another surface due to the frictional force and generated heat. This work investigates the behavior of a knitted electrode under different loading conditions and after multiple abrasion cycles.

Keywords

• electronic textiles
• E-textiles
• electrode
• tensile testing
• abrasion