Periodic Reporting for period 1 - STELEC (Sustainable Textile Electronics)
Période du rapport: 2024-09-01 au 2025-08-31
E-textiles are rapidly emerging as an important area of electronic circuits applications. The European Apparel and Textile Confederation (Euratex) expects that the EU market for e-textiles and textile wearables reaches €1.5 billion in 2025 and will be a significant factor for an important European industry sector. It is also a facilitator for many socially important applications such as personalized health, elderly care, and smart agriculture. Unfortunately, the environmental impact and sustainability of e-textiles remain very problematic:
With e-textiles, electronic circuits are entering a new application domain increasing the number of devices that need to be produced and recycled. The vision behind e-textiles as part of Internet of Things is that intelligence (=electronic components) will diffuse into more and more everyday objects, eventually leading to electronics being virtually everywhere in the environment, so that we are looking at a potentially huge environmental impact.
E-textiles are particularly difficult in terms of recycling and re-use. This is because in general they involve electronic components being deeply embedded in textile substrates. Before recycling/reuse the two need to be separated which is a non-trivial task that disrupts established recycling/re-use chains. Furthermore, the focus of research and development so far has been on overcoming the challenges involved in producing cost effective and robust conductive textile structures with little regard for environmental impact and sustainability.
STELEC aims to address the sustainability issue of next generation textile electronics, specifically through the following bjectives:
1. To develop develop sustainable, environmentally friendly materials for textile electronics that are recyclable and have advanced electrical properties. This involves improving conductive textiles and beyond, as well as creating models to predict their performance under various conditions.
2. To develop sustainable textile electronics devices using innovative materials and manufacturing processes, such as printing and embroidery, that reduce environmental impact. The project aims to create basic electronic components, circuits, sensing and communication functionality, and power sources all within textile technology, with the ability to simulate and analyze their properties in various settings.
3. To develop environmentally sustainable production and recycling processes for textile electronics, specifically focusing on fibers and textiles that incorporate certain materials. This includes designing processes for extracting reusable materials from old textiles to promote a circular economy.
4. To validate proof-of-concept by implementing and evaluating individual devices and sensors in various textiles, and developing relevant use cases for simple circuits. This involves creating simplified versions of specific circuits and testing them in textile applications.
5. To develop life cycle sustainability models and assessments for textile electronics, comparing different technologies and creating a decision support tool to aid in designing environmentally friendly e-textiles.
With e-textiles, electronic circuits are entering a new application domain increasing the number of devices that need to be produced and recycled. The vision behind e-textiles as part of Internet of Things is that intelligence (=electronic components) will diffuse into more and more everyday objects, eventually leading to electronics being virtually everywhere in the environment, so that we are looking at a potentially huge environmental impact.
E-textiles are particularly difficult in terms of recycling and re-use. This is because in general they involve electronic components being deeply embedded in textile substrates. Before recycling/reuse the two need to be separated which is a non-trivial task that disrupts established recycling/re-use chains. Furthermore, the focus of research and development so far has been on overcoming the challenges involved in producing cost effective and robust conductive textile structures with little regard for environmental impact and sustainability.
STELEC aims to address the sustainability issue of next generation textile electronics, specifically through the following bjectives:
1. To develop develop sustainable, environmentally friendly materials for textile electronics that are recyclable and have advanced electrical properties. This involves improving conductive textiles and beyond, as well as creating models to predict their performance under various conditions.
2. To develop sustainable textile electronics devices using innovative materials and manufacturing processes, such as printing and embroidery, that reduce environmental impact. The project aims to create basic electronic components, circuits, sensing and communication functionality, and power sources all within textile technology, with the ability to simulate and analyze their properties in various settings.
3. To develop environmentally sustainable production and recycling processes for textile electronics, specifically focusing on fibers and textiles that incorporate certain materials. This includes designing processes for extracting reusable materials from old textiles to promote a circular economy.
4. To validate proof-of-concept by implementing and evaluating individual devices and sensors in various textiles, and developing relevant use cases for simple circuits. This involves creating simplified versions of specific circuits and testing them in textile applications.
5. To develop life cycle sustainability models and assessments for textile electronics, comparing different technologies and creating a decision support tool to aid in designing environmentally friendly e-textiles.
During the first year, STELEC advanced across all levels of its integrated technology stack — from materials to systems — with emphasis on reproducible processes and sustainability.
•WP1 (Requirements & Demonstrators): Use cases and requirements were defined for wearable health monitoring and soft robotics. A joint measurement protocol was initiated to harmonise testing.
•WP2 (Textile Materials & Processes): Progress in conductive coatings and printing included plasma and PECVD copper deposition (NTT), inkjet printing with good conductivity (UB), elastane-free and recycled textile substrates (UDK), and improved yarn coating (UoS).
•WP3 (Devices): First functional OECTs were fabricated, though reproducibility remains a challenge. UoS developed automated characterisation rigs and explored memristor and supercapacitor devices. ICL initiated dry electrodes for bio-impedance sensing.
•WP4 (Circuits & Systems): RPTU reconstructed and validated OECT models, introduced JFET-based models, and began logic gate and ALU designs.
•WP5 (Responsible Production): UDK and NTT completed recycling trials, producing nine nonwoven textile variants. Case studies on downcycled applications (mats, cushions, protectors) were launched.
•WP6 (Sustainability): ICL coordinated material and process data collection, with NTT identifying ecodesign hotspots. A simplified sustainability checklist is under development.
Main achievements in Year 1:
•First switching OECT devices.
•Textile-compatible coating and printing processes (inkjet, dispenser, plasma).
•Validated OECT circuit models and logic gate designs.
•First mechanical recycling trials with conductive textiles.
•Joint measurement protocol and cross-partner sample exchange.
•Portfolio-wide summer school to strengthen integration.
•WP1 (Requirements & Demonstrators): Use cases and requirements were defined for wearable health monitoring and soft robotics. A joint measurement protocol was initiated to harmonise testing.
•WP2 (Textile Materials & Processes): Progress in conductive coatings and printing included plasma and PECVD copper deposition (NTT), inkjet printing with good conductivity (UB), elastane-free and recycled textile substrates (UDK), and improved yarn coating (UoS).
•WP3 (Devices): First functional OECTs were fabricated, though reproducibility remains a challenge. UoS developed automated characterisation rigs and explored memristor and supercapacitor devices. ICL initiated dry electrodes for bio-impedance sensing.
•WP4 (Circuits & Systems): RPTU reconstructed and validated OECT models, introduced JFET-based models, and began logic gate and ALU designs.
•WP5 (Responsible Production): UDK and NTT completed recycling trials, producing nine nonwoven textile variants. Case studies on downcycled applications (mats, cushions, protectors) were launched.
•WP6 (Sustainability): ICL coordinated material and process data collection, with NTT identifying ecodesign hotspots. A simplified sustainability checklist is under development.
Main achievements in Year 1:
•First switching OECT devices.
•Textile-compatible coating and printing processes (inkjet, dispenser, plasma).
•Validated OECT circuit models and logic gate designs.
•First mechanical recycling trials with conductive textiles.
•Joint measurement protocol and cross-partner sample exchange.
•Portfolio-wide summer school to strengthen integration.
In its first year, STELEC has advanced beyond the state of the art in several areas of sustainable e-textiles:
• Device integration: First functional OECTs fabricated directly on yarns, showing feasibility of active devices in mechanically dynamic substrates.
• Sustainable substrates: Elastane-free stretchable knits and first recycling/downcycling trials of conductive fibres, addressing recyclability barriers in e-textiles.
• Circuit models: Validated OECT models providing design tools previously unavailable for organic textile electronics.
• Process innovation: Inkjet printing with industrial heads and PECVD copper coatings on knitted textiles, opening scalable processing routes.
Potential impacts: These advances pave the way for recyclable, functional e-textiles in health monitoring, robotics, and sustainable wearables.
Key needs for success: Improve OECT reproducibility and device diversity; test methods on industrial-scale equipment; develop IPR and exploitation pathways; align with standards (e.g. REACH, Green Deal); and sustain a trained community through initiatives like the ReTronics Summer School.
• Device integration: First functional OECTs fabricated directly on yarns, showing feasibility of active devices in mechanically dynamic substrates.
• Sustainable substrates: Elastane-free stretchable knits and first recycling/downcycling trials of conductive fibres, addressing recyclability barriers in e-textiles.
• Circuit models: Validated OECT models providing design tools previously unavailable for organic textile electronics.
• Process innovation: Inkjet printing with industrial heads and PECVD copper coatings on knitted textiles, opening scalable processing routes.
Potential impacts: These advances pave the way for recyclable, functional e-textiles in health monitoring, robotics, and sustainable wearables.
Key needs for success: Improve OECT reproducibility and device diversity; test methods on industrial-scale equipment; develop IPR and exploitation pathways; align with standards (e.g. REACH, Green Deal); and sustain a trained community through initiatives like the ReTronics Summer School.