Electrothermal materials transform electric energy into heat due to the Joule effect. Flexible electrothermal heaters have attracted a growing interest because of their broad applications in wearable electronics, including warming garments, and as flexural warmers for medical devices and electric vehicles. Traditional electrothermal materials such as ferro chromium-based alloys have disadvantages such as heavy weight, rigidity and low heating efficiency.
This project aims to develop three-dimensional moldable heat generation, electrode materials and film heaters for electric vehicles. Our team in collaboration with Korean universities (Gachon and Bankook) and Industries (Interflex and Teraon) is engineering carbon-based conductive inks (including carbons and/or metal particles) that can withstand overstrain from underlying substrate deformation. In addition, we are also developing polymer-based substrate, which can sustain at high temperatures.
- Formulation of conducting inks as heating element
- Innovative strategies to increase conductivity of carbon inks
- Development of flexible and heat resistant polymer substrate
Funding agency: Australia – South Korea joint international project.
