Nanowerk  May 21, 2022
Researchers in Finland laminated a solar cell component between textiles in a water-tight polyurethane film to make the component machine-washable. The textiles containing the solar cell component were then washed dozens of times. Five of the eight samples retained their efficiency, and three lost about 20 percent of their power. None of the cells or the textiles were damaged during the process. They used textiles whose fibers were made of only a single material and thus could be recycled as efficiently as possible. Electronic components can be removed from the fabric simply by first applying heat and then tearing them off. According to the researchers the solar cells hidden under textiles are worth considering as energy sources for electrical equipment that must adhere to textiles, look and feel like a fabric, be machine-washable, use as little power as possible, and whose battery is otherwise either too hard or too expensive to charge or replace…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ