Work

Breathable, Flexible, and Durable Woven Fabric with Polyester/Carbon Nanotube-Wrapped Cotton Yarns for Wearable Electrothermal Heaters

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Owing to their breathability, flexibility, washability, and wearability, fabric-based wearable heaters have gained significant attention for personal thermal management and thermotherapy applications. A key challenge, however, lies in achieving high electrical conductivity without compromising the inherent fabric properties or electrothermal performance. To address this, we applied a surface engineering strategy by weaving polyester (PET) warp yarns with carbon nanotube-wrapped cotton weft yarns (CCY) to construct a conductive blended fabric. The CCY was prepared through a facile surface wrapping process, creating a conductive layer on the cotton yarns. The resulting PET/CCY fabric exhibited excellent breathability, with air permeability of 1104.09 ± 7.69 mm s−1 and moisture permeability of 2536.67 ± 25.45 g m−2 day−1. It also demonstrated superior electrothermal performance, including a rapid response time (45 s), low driving voltage (1–7 V), uniform temperature distribution, and reliable stability. Remarkably, the fabric maintained consistent performance after 5000 bending cycles, 500 folding cycles, 60 washing cycles, and 12 weeks of atmospheric exposure, highlighting its flexibility, washability, and long-term durability. These comprehensive properties position the PET/CCY blended fabric as a promising high-performance wearable heater for advanced personal thermal management and thermotherapy applications.

Source: Polymers

DOI: 10.3390/polym18192454