Hydrogen Peroxide Etching conductive fabric.

Part of a counterchemists collaboration.

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/plusea/albums/72157710980633483

copper riptstop:

silver lycra (front):

silver lycra (back):

silver lycra (stretched):

materials:

High acidity vinegar (24%): look in the cleaning section of your local supermarket for vinegars used in cleaning.

Hydrogen Peroxide (Wasserstoffperoxid Lösung) 30%: ask at your local pharmacy and let them know you are using it in a workshop/lab for material purposes (not on the body). If they don’t stock/sell 30% they will likely stock a lower % for hair bleaching and you can also get this. The etching process will just be slower.

Resist (bees wax + batik, tape, oil….)

Recipe:
This recipe is pretty lenient, meaning there is no exact mix and we encourage you to experiment with different ratios. If you notice the etching bath becoming weak you can add more peroxide.

STEP1) MIX the ETCHING BATH
MIX the etching chemicals together in a glass or plastic container in a 2:1 ratio to create your ETCHING BATH:
2 parts: High acidity vinegar (24%)
1 part: Hydrogen Peroxide (Wasserstoffperoxid Lösung) 30%

C A R E F U L:

For humans: the mix of these chemicals is a strong etchant and you don’t want to get it on your body, skin or cloths. Wear waterproof gloves and rinse equipment thoroughly with tap water to remove residue.

For environment: as far as I have been able to find out from looking at government chemical safety websites and forum discussions on the internet in small batches (<1liter???) these chemicals are okay to rinse down a household drain (connected to plumbing system) and good to let the water run extra to dilute. I am less sure about the fact that we have dissolved metals (and possibly other things) into this mix. WE SHOULD BE BETTER INFORMED!

STEP2) RESIST
Apply the resist to your fabric.

STEP3) SUBMERGE
Submerge the piece to be etched in the etching MIX.

STEP4) WAIT & OBSERVE
Observe the etching closely. This process will differ greatly depending on the %s in your chemicals as well as the kind of fabric you are etching as well as possibly the temperature of the etching bath.

Example:

setup:
2 : 1
24% acidity vinegar : 30% Hydrogen Peroxide
Silver plated lycra conductive fabric by Statex

First 5-10 minutes:
Conductive fabric becomes wet and may change colour
nothing visibly happening

At around 5-15th minute:
Visible reaction by change of colour/texture in exposed areas
Some air bubbles in liquid around these areas
Shining through of white base fabric

End:
Once you see sufficient proof of base material you can end the process by removing the piece from the bath (use a tool or gloves).

STEP5) RINSE
Rinse the fabric thoroughly to remove all chemicals.

STEP6) IRON & DRY
If you used a wax resist, sandwich the piece between layers of old newspaper and iron. The heat of the iron will melt the wax and draw it into the newspaper. After a few passes the wax should all be in the paper.