The aim of this paper is to present research dedicated to the elaboration of novel, miniaturized flexible temperature sensors for textronic applications. Examined sensors were manufactured on a single yarn, which ensures their high flexibility and good compatibility with textiles. Stable and linear characteristics were obtained by special technological process and applied temperature profiles. As a thermo-sensitive materials the innovative polymer compositions filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes were used. Elaborated material was adapted to printing and dip-coating techniques to produce NTC composites. Nanotube sensors were free from tensometric effect typical for other carbon-polymer sensor, and demonstrated TCR of 0.13%/K. Obtained temperature sensors, compatible with textile structure, can be applied in rapidly developing smart textiles and be used for health and protections purposes.

A novel type of a broadband flexible electromagnetic absorbing panel made of a resistive pattern printed on a dielectric spacer backed by a conducting surface is investigated in this paper. It is shown that an appropriate choice of the shape and sheet resistance of the pattern allows extending an absorption spectrum up to an octave and beyond, which is very competitive over alternative solutions. The pattern is made of ink with graphene nano-platelets, which allows achieving expected sheet resistance with decent repeatability, what is confirmed with measurements undertaken with the DC point probe and microwave dielectric resonator techniques. An exemplary sample of the proposed absorber is manufactured and characterized, indicating a very good agreement between theoretical study and experiments.

Inkjet printing is an excellent printing technique and an attractive alternative to conventional technologies for the production of flexible, low-cost microelectronic devices. Among many parameters that have a significant impact on the correctness of the printing process, the most important is ink viscosity. During the printing process, the ink is influenced by different strains and forces, which significantly change the printing results. The authors present a model and calculations referring to the shear rate of ink in an inkjet printer nozzle. Supporting experiments were conducted, proving the model assumptions for two different ink formulations: initial ink and with the addition of a dispersing agent. The most important findings are summarized by the process window regime of parameters, which is much broader for the inks with a dispersing agent. Such inks exhibit preferable viscosity, better print-ability, and higher path quality with lower resistivity. Presented results allow stating that proper, stable graphene inks adjusted for inkjet technique rheology must contain modifiers such as dispersing agents to be effectively printed.

This paper describes results obtained using a hybrid measurement methodology employed to investigate electric properties of thin conductive layers based on graphene nanoplatelets in the frequency band spanning from dc up to terahertz range. As many as four different measurement methods were employed to cover the band of interest, including the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy besides resonator techniques applicable in the microwave band and the four-point dc technique. Raw measurement data obtained using these approaches were processed and based on the results a relationship between frequency and sheet resistance for various types of new graphene-based conductive layers was extracted. Eventually, several models that help to explain the observed behavior of each of the analyzed conductive inks were proposed.

Recently, low-cost electronics printed on lightweight, flexible and 3D shaped substrates are gaining importance in the markets of wearables and smart packaging. However, printed electronics do not meet the electrical performance of subtractive techniques because the resistivity of metallic printed patterns is still much higher than that of bulk material. To fulfil this need, low-resistive and easy printable inks for high resolution printed electronics techniques are needed. In this work, parameters of silver nanoparticles ink for micro-scale printed electronics technique, Aerosol Jet Printing, are being enhanced. To increase electrical conductivity and enhance printability, surfactants and dispersing agents were used to increase ultrasonic atomisation efficiency, obtain a uniform structure of printed lines, and narrow the width of printed patterns. Electrical measurements show a decrease in resistivity value in samples enhanced by cationic and non-ionic surfactants, by 95%, compared to initially prepared inks. Surfactant additions to silver nanoparticles Aerosol Jet Printing ink show promising features for application in modern electronics.