Rheological Properties and Inkjet Printability of a Green Silver-Based Conductive Ink for Wearable Flexible Textile Antennas

Abstract

The development of e-textiles necessitates the creation of highly conductive inks that are compatible with precise inkjet printing, which remains a key challenge. This work presents an innovative, syringe-based method to optimize a novel bio-sourced silver ink for inkjet printing on textiles. We investigate the relationships between inks' composition, rheological properties, and printing behavior, ultimately assessing the electrical performance of the fabricated circuits. Using Na-alginate and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the suspension matrix, we demonstrate their viscosity depends on the component ratios. Rheological control of the silver nanoparticle-laden ink has become paramount for uniform printing on textiles. A specific formulation (3 wt.% AgNPs, 20 wt.% Na-alginate, 40 wt.% PEG, and 40 wt.% solvent) exhibits the optimal rheology, enabling the printing of 0.1 mm thick conductive lines with a low resistivity (8 × 10^-3 Ω/cm). Our findings pave the way for designing eco-friendly ink formulations that are suitable for inkjet printing flexible antennas and other electronic circuits onto textiles, opening up exciting possibilities for the next generation of E-textiles.