In addition to the need for resource-saving production of yarn materials, the production of smart textiles in the context of digitization is a major trend in the textile industry.
Conductive coated yarns, such as silver coated polyamide yarns, are often used for smart textiles. However, the lifetime of such yarns can be limited due to abrasion problems of the conductive coating. Intrinsically conductive polymers such as PEDOT offer a promising alternative here, as high electrical conductivity is provided over the entire cross-section of the fiber and the fibers can be used close to the body.
In this work, the production of PEDOT fibers by means of the wet-spinning process is presented, a characterization of the electromechanical properties is given and application scenarios, especially with regard to the use of new alternative drive concepts such as electroactive actuators for the control of soft robotics, the use as sensors for monitoring the mechanical conditions of composites or the use of smart textiles, for example as heating devices are presented.