The present study is a focused and comprehensive analysis of the dielectric and thermal properties of twenty-four 3D printed polymers suitable for fused filament fabrication (FFF) in electronic applications. The selected polymers include various thermoplastic elastomers, such as thermoplastics based on polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS-T). Their overall thermal behavior, including oxidation stability, glass transition, and melting temperature, was explored using simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Considering their intended usage in electronic applications, the dielectric strength (E_p) and surface/volume resistivity (ρ_s/ρ_v) were comprehensively tested according to IEC 60243-1 and IEC 62631-3, respectively. The values of the dielectric constant (ε’) and loss factor (ε”) were also determined by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). While, on the one hand, exceptional dielectric properties were observed for some thermoplastic elastomers, the materials based on PCs, on the other hand, stood out from the others due to their high oxidation stability and above average dielectric properties. The low-cost materials based on PETG or ABS-T did not achieve thermal properties similar to those of the other tested polymers; nevertheless, considering the very reasonable price of these polymers, the obtained dielectric properties are promising for undemanding electronic applications.

This paper is focused on the stability and reliability of interconnections in smart textiles between textile ribbons and other smart textiles functional blocks. There was selected one interconnection method based on the pin/connector crimping. Two commercially available crimps were chosen for testing. The testing showed the possibility of this method for the usage of crimps in smart textiles. The testing was done by multiple clothes washing cycles according to ISO 6330.