Conductive Materials

I have recently ordered sparkfun conductive fabric (MedTex180), which is similar to LessEMF stretchy fabric but much thicker and stiffer.

The structure of the fabric is more like a rib than Lycra. The front side is very shiny and you can see the rib structure from the back side.

It stretches very well on once direction [...]

Conductive and non-conductive play-doh recipes by Dr. AnnMarie Thomas and Samuel Johnson.

Aluminum foil used with fusible interfacing is a great inexpensive and super available substitute for conductive fabrics.

Plug and Wear now sell “Nm10/3 conductive yarn, 80% polyester 20% stainless steel, light gray, 1 Kg cone, 3333 m (3646 yds). Perfect for knitted strain sensors. First delivery: September 2010.” Price: 75 Euro + shipping!!!

A variety of conductive fabric, copper and aluminum tapes are available. Some have conductive adhesive and some not. Some make good electrical connections by simply overlapping ends, and some do not. Copper tape is great for soldering to.

also see: collective purchase, conductive thread

also see: conductive yarn
conductive threads are usually manufactured for anti-static, electromagnetic shielding, intelligent textiles, wearable technology, data transfer and heating purposes. Most threads are metalized with an alloy of various metals, which can include silver, copper, tin and nickel. The core is normally cotton or polyester.
Conductive threads are uninsulated and sewing them tightly to metal [...]

Conductive pens are intended for small fixes and can be used to connect conductive fabric that is not solderable to the metal pins of a components. But we have found them to be finicky and a slight pain. Instead we recommend the range of conductive paints and inks listed in this post:
>> Conductive Paints and [...]

also: Resistive foam, ESD foam, black conductive polyurethane foam, dissipative foam
Comes with sensitive electronic chips and components. Available in various densities, soft or stiff. Good for pressure sensing.

Black conductive paper used for electrostatic field mapping.

>> http://store.pasco.com/pascostore/showdetl.cfm?&DID=9&Product_ID=1821&Detail=1

Many traditional fabric fasteners are metal and great for making electrical plugable connections. these include hooks and loops, hook clasp, magnetic clasps and screw and socket clasps, buttons, zippers (with conductive zipper tape from Shieldex)…
These also include metal poppers, which are covered in an extra post.

resistive fabrics are great for making pressure, bend and stretch sensors. There are a range of resistive fabrics available on the market for anti-static and electro magnetic field shielding purposes.

Conductive rubbers can be used for pressure, bend and stretch sensors. Because of their materiality they offer a nice haptic feedback, without the need for other squishy materials.

Come in very handy for making your own simple plugable sewable connections. Though hopefully with time these will be replaced with more sewable alternatives, for now they are an okay solution. It is nice to get the break-away option, as this saves time cutting them with the knife and losing the ones in between.

Acrylic board with holes drilled every 4mm spacing for electronic components. this is also about the minimum distance for spacing when sewing with conductive thread. Perfboards with copper line patterns are great for making small circuits and then sewing to them (by hand) with thread that is not too thick and does not fray too [...]

The biggest problem with conductive paints and inks is that they crack and loose their conductivity on fabric because the surface of fabric is porous and uneven. To print on stretch fabrics is an even bigger issue that might be resolved by combining the paints with flexible materials such as latex, silicone or fabric mediums. [...]

By felting together natural and steel wool it is possible to make conductive felt and from this a pressure sensitive variable resistor.

This project is a nice project by Thomas Gerhardt using this principal.
>> http://thomas-gerhardt.com/itp/FeltResistor/

We use this in so many of our projects, where conductive thread of fabric connections are not possible (or we just give up). We buy it from Conrad, Single wire LIFY 0.05 mm in different colours.

Heavy metal beads are great for making tilt sensors. They can be used in combination with smaller metal beads or non-conductive glass, plastic or ceramic beads.

You can also make your own conductive beads, either by shaping them from some stiff metal wire and possibly soldering them to add enough solder to make them heavy. One [...]

We have so far unsuccessfully used graphite powder to make our own stretchy conductive glue or paint. But it is possible to make non-stretch glue/paint by mixing graphite powder and liquid tape together.

Conductivity similar to water.

also: anti-static bag, ESD bag
Velostat is the brand name for this material manufactured by 3M. Linqstat is the same thing, just manufactured by another company. This is also the material from which the storage bags for sensitive electrical components are made.
Velostat is made of back, opaque, volume-conductive, carbon-impregnated polyolefin. The electrical characteristics are not affected [...]

also see: Connections >> Solderability Tests
There are a range of different conductive fabrics available. Some of the most frequently used conductive fabrics, tend to be the most available.

also: Hook and Loop fastener
Velcro is the brand name for fabric Hook and Loop fasteners. conductive velcro is highly conductive and good for making switches or connections that might need to be opened and closed.

also know as: snap, snap fastener, press stud
also see: Tools >> popper machines
Metal poppers are great for making electrical connections. They are traditionally a wearable fastener. They are a washable and reliable connection method.
We have found that not all metal poppers are good for solder to. White bronze, brass, PWP nickle free, silver finish…