Conductive textiles

Abstract

A method of producing electrically conductive metallic structures in or on textiles, which has the following steps: (a) introducing at least one non-conducting precursor compound into a fibre or yarn material during or after the production thereof, wherein the at least one precursor compound is an inorganic metal phosphate compounds, a metal oxide or a spinel of the general formula AB 2 O 4 , (b) producing a textile from the fibre or yarn material, (c) irradiating the textile with electromagnetic radiation, preferably with laser light in the regions of the electrically conductive structures to be produced, with the release of metallisation seeds, and (d) electrical or non-electrical treatment of the textile with deposit of metals at the metallisation seeds with the production of conductive structures in the textile.

1 . A method of producing electrically conductive metallic structures in or on textiles, which has the following steps:
 (a) introducing at least one non-conducting precursor compound into a fibre or yarn material during or after the production thereof, wherein the at least one precursor compound is an inorganic metal phosphate compound, a metal oxide or a spinel of the general formula AB 2 O 4 ,   (b) producing a textile from the fibre or yarn material,   (c) irradiating the textile with electromagnetic radiation, preferably with laser light in the regions of the electrically conductive structures to be produced, with the release of metallisation seeds, and   (d) electrical or non-electrical treatment of the textile with deposit of metal at the metallisation seeds with the production of conductive structures in the textile.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one inorganic metal phosphate compound is selected from the group consisting of:
 copper hydroxide phosphate;   anhydrous iron (II) orthophosphate of the general formula Fe 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ; and   anhydrous iron (II) metal orthophosphate, iron (II) metal phosphonate, iron (II) metal pyrophosphate or iron (II) metal metaphosphate of the general formula Fe a Met b (PO c ) d , wherein a is a number of 1 to 5, b is a number of >0 to 5, c is a number of 2.5 to 5, d is a number of 0.5 to 3 and wherein Met represents one or more metals, selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, the transition metals (d-block), the metals and metalloids of the third, fourth and fifth main groups, and the lanthanoids, or combinations of the above-mentioned phosphates.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in addition to the at least one precursor compound at least one stabiliser is introduced into the fibre or yarn material during or after production thereof, which is selected from compounds of the group consisting of Brönsted acids and Lewis acids, wherein a Brönsted acid is defined as a proton-transmitting compound and a Lewis acid is defined as a non-proton-transmitting electron-deficient compound. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabiliser is or includes a Brönsted acid selected from oxyacids of phosphorus with phosphorus in the oxidation stage +V, +IV, +III, +II or +I, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, silicic acid, aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids and salts of the above-mentioned acids. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the oxyacids of phosphorus and salts thereof are selected from phosphoric acid, diphosphoric acid, polyphosphoric acids, hypodiphosphoric acid, phosphonic acid, diphosphonic acid, hypodiphosphonic acid, phosphinic acid and salts of the above-mentioned acids and/or the aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids and salts thereof are selected from acetic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, phthalic acid, sulphonic acids, benzoic acid and salts of the above-mentioned acids. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabiliser is or includes a Lewis acid selected from sodium-aluminium-sulphate (SOS), monocalciumphosphate-monohydrate (MCPM), dicalciumphosphate-dihydrate (DCPD), sodium-aluminium-phosphate (SALP), calcium-magnesium-aluminium-phosphate, calcium polyphosphate, magnesium polyphosphate, aluminium hydroxide, boric acid, alkyl borans, aluminium alkyls, iron (II)-salts and mixtures of the above-mentioned. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in addition at least one synergist is introduced into the fibre or yarn material during or after manufacture thereof, which is selected from metal phosphates, metal oxides or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-conducting precursor compound and the optionally used stabiliser and/or the optionally used synergist are introduced into the fibre or yarn material by the fibre or yarn material during or after production thereof being acted upon with a solution thereof or passed through same, wherein the solution is an aqueous solution or a solution in an organic or aqueously organic solvent. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-conducting precursor compound, with respect to the solid of the precursor compound, is introduced into the fibre or yarn material in an amount which corresponds to at least 0.01 wt % at most 15 wt % of the dry fibre or yarn material. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one stabiliser, with respect to the solid of the stabiliser, is introduced into the fibre or yarn material in an amount which corresponds to at least 0.01 wt % and at most 15 wt % of the dry fibre or yarn material. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one synergist, with respect to the solid of the synergist, is introduced into the fibre or yarn material in an amount which corresponds to at least 0.01 wt % and at most 15 wt % of the dry fibre or yarn material. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the laser light used for irradiating the textile has a wavelength in the range of 200 nm to 12000 nm. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibre or yarn material is selected from the group consisting of cotton, wool, flax, hemp, viscose, polyamide, polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, cellulose acetate, polyesters, polyolefins, and copolymers of the above-mentioned. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising adding in or on a textile at least one inorganic metal phosphate compound selected from the group consisting of:
 copper hydroxide phosphate,   anhydrous iron (II) orthophosphate of the general formula Fe 3 (PO 4 ) 2  and   anhydrous iron (II) metal orthophosphate, iron (II) metal phosphonate, iron (II) metal pyrophosphate or iron (II) metal metaphosphate of the general formula Fe a Met b (PO c ) d , wherein a is a number of 1 to 5, b is a number of >0 to 5, c is a number of 2.5 to 5, d is a number of 0.5 to 3 and wherein Met represents one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, the transition metals (d-block), in particular Sc, Y, La, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, Ag, Au, the metals and metalloids of the third, fourth and fifth main groups, in particular B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Sn, Sb, Bi and the lanthanoids, or combinations of the above-mentioned phosphates; or   a metal oxide or spinel of the general formula AB 2 O 4 .   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one inorganic metal phosphate compound or the metal oxide or spinel of the general formula AB 2 O 4  is added in combination with a stabiliser and/or with a synergist. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A textile having electrically conductive metallic structures which is or can be produced according to  claim 1 .