'Smart fabric' generates electricity from sweat and movement

With this special fabric, researchers have succeeded in creating an energy source just from sweat and body movement .

The Korea Herald reported that Korean researchers have developed a new fabric that can generate electricity from sweat and body movements. This promises to open a new chapter in the production of next-generation smart clothing.

Image of newly developed fabric that can generate energy from sweat and body movement. (Photo: KIST)

According to the Korean Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announcement on August 15, two research groups at the Institute's Electronic Materials Research Center have created a washable stretch fabric, allowing Generates biomechanical and biochemical energy.

The researchers woven together two different fabrics , equipped with a triboelectric generator (TEG) and a perspiration generator (PEG) , to create the new fabric. TEG can convert mechanical energy generated from body movements into electrical energy. PEG can generate electrical energy when liquids such as water and sweat flow along fabric fibers.

Previously, TEG was limited because its energy efficiency decreased due to moisture from sweat, and PEG only produced very little energy, making it difficult to put them into practical use.

The team overcame these limitations by using molten sugar to make TEG fabric, which improves energy efficiency thanks to the increased friction surface. They also coated PEG with ionic salts and parylene-C to increase power generation capacity.

By weaving one TEG through 36 PEG to make a garment, the researchers successfully powered a location-tracking sensor that requires 3V of electricity.

KIST said the new fabric has high commercialization potential because the power output of TEG and PEG remains well maintained after 10 washes. Mass production will make this material more affordable.

'Our technology can be applied to the fields of electrical equipment on clothing and wearables, but we hope it will become a power source for people operating in harsh environments such as soldiers. firefighters, soldiers and climbers' , said Mr. Song Hyun-cheol, an author of the study.

This research was published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials in July.