Liquid metal circuitry using a newly engineered material called Bilayer Liquid-Solid Conductor (BiLiSC) allows devices such as wearables to withstand large deformation and even self-heal to ensure electronic and functional integrity. (Credit: National University of Singapore)

A new super flexible, self-healing and highly conductive material could significantly improve the performance of wearable technologies, soft robotics, smart devices and more.

The newly engineered material, called the Bilayer Liquid-Solid Conductor (BiLiSC), can stretch up to a remarkable 22 times its original length without sustaining a significant drop in its electrical conductivity. This electrical-mechano property, which has not been achieved before, enhances the comfort and effectiveness of the human-device interface, and opens up a wide array of opportunities for its use in healthcare wearables and other applications.

It consists of two layers. The first layer is a self-assembled pure liquid metal, which can provide high conductivity even under high strain, reducing the energy loss during power transmission and signal loss during signal transmission.

The second layer is a composite material containing liquid metal microparticles and it can repair itself after breakage. When a crack or tear occurs, the liquid metal flowing out from the microparticle can flow into the gap, allowing the material to heal itself almost instantaneously to retain its high conductivity.

Source 

Topics:
Board-Level Electronics Electronic Components Flexible Sensors Medical Wearables Wearables

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