Recent developments in Ag metallised textiles using plasma sputtering

Metallisation of textiles, especially using Ag (silver), shows growing interest for textile applications requiring electrical conductivity, antimicrobial properties or a shiny metallic appearance for decorative purposes. Electroless Ag plating has brought several Ag coated yarns on the market. However, good adhesion of the Ag layers could only be achieved on Nylon fibres, while washing fastness remains a major technological challenge. This work describes an alternative technique to deposit Ag on textiles, namely plasma sputtering which allows cleaning and deposition in a one-step process. Excellent adhesion on polyester fibres could be obtained with smooth coatings. Therefore, electrical conductivity is obtained with low amounts of deposited Ag maintaining their textile properties, while showing metallic appearance and antimicrobial activity.