Variation in electrical resistivity of stretchable printed wires composed a polyurethane-based binder containing silver fillers under cyclic tensions

Stretchable wires were printed on a polyurethane-based substrate using polyurethane-based electrically conductive pastes containing silver flakes. Variation in electrical resistivity of the wires was measured during a uniaxial cyclic tensile test. Mullins softening that occurred during unloading was inferred to play an important role in increasing electrical resistivity of the wires during the cyclic tensions because major part of increase in the resistivity could be recovered by annealing Modification of the conductive pastes using silver particles as the secondary fillers was found to be effective to suppress increase in resistivity of the wires during the cyclic tensions.