Conductive fiber and method for fabricating the same

Abstract

A conductive fiber and a method for fabricating the conductive fiber are provided. The method for fabricating the conductive fiber includes the following steps. A first solution is provided, where the first solution includes a spinnable polymer dissolved in a first solvent, wherein the weight ratio of the spinnable polymer to the first solvent is from 5:95 to 20:80. A second solution is provided, wherein the second solution includes a conductive material dispersed in a second solvent, and the weight ratio of the conductive material to the second solvent is from 5:95 to 20:80. The shape of the conductive material is dendritic or snowflake-like. Next, a wet spinning process employing the first solution and the second solution is performed to obtain the conductive fiber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for fabricating a conductive fiber, comprising:
 providing a first solution, wherein the first solution comprises a spinnable polymer dissolved in a first solvent, wherein the weight ratio of the spinnable polymer to the first solvent is from 5:95 to 20:80;   providing a second solution, wherein the second solution comprises a conductive material dispersed in a second solvent, wherein the weight ratio of the conductive material to the second solvent is from 5:95 to 20:80, and wherein the shape of the conductive material is dendritic or snowflake-like; and   subjecting the first solution and the second solution to a wet spinning process, obtaining the conductive fiber.   
     
     
         2 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material is gold, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the spinnable polymer to the conductive material is from 7:3 to 3:7. 
     
     
         4 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material has an aspect ratio between 5 and 15. 
     
     
         5 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spinnable polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate, carboxy methyl cellulose, polyurethane, polyester, styrene-butadiene-styrene resin (SBS), polypropylene (PP), Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first solvent and the second solvent are independently deionized water, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfone, tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, methylethyl ketone, or chloroform. 
     
     
         7 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the first solution to the second solution is from 1:2 to 3:1. 
     
     
         8 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the steps of subjecting the first solution and the second solution to a wet spinning process comprise:
 mixing the first solution with the second solution, obtaining a third solution, wherein the first solvent is miscible with the second solvent, and the spinnable polymer is dissolved in the second solvent; and   subjecting the third solution serving as a spinning solution to a wet spinning process.   
     
     
         9 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the steps of subjecting the first solution and the second solution to a wet spinning process comprise:
 mixing the first solution with the second solution, obtaining a third solution, wherein the first solvent is miscible with the second solvent, and the spinnable polymer is dissolved in the second solvent; and   subjecting a spinning coagulating bath solution serving as a spinning solution of the inner spinning nozzle and the third solution serving as a spinning solution of the outer spinning nozzle to a wet spinning process via a spinning device with two spinning nozzles.   
     
     
         10 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the steps of subjecting the first solution and the second solution to a wet spinning process comprise:
 mixing the first solution with the second solution, obtaining a third solution, wherein the first solvent is miscible with the second solvent, and the spinnable polymer is dissolved in the second solvent;   providing a fourth solution, wherein the fourth solution comprises a elastic polymer dissolved in a third solvent; and   subjecting the third solution serving as a spinning solution of the inner spinning nozzle and the fourth solution serving as a spinning solution of the outer spinning nozzle to a wet spinning process via a spinning device with two spinning nozzles.   
     
     
         11 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the weight ratio of the elastic polymer to the third solvent is from 5:95 to 20:80. 
     
     
         12 . The method for fabricating the conductive fiber claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the elastic polymer is polyurethane, styrene-butadiene-styrene resin (SBS), polypropylene (PP) Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A conductive fiber, comprising:
 a conductive material and a spinnable polymer, wherein the shape of the conductive material is dendritic or snowflake-like, wherein the weight ratio of the spinnable polymer to the conductive material is from 7:3 to 3:7, based on the total weight of the spinnable polymer and the conductive material.   
     
     
         14 . The conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the conductive material comprises gold, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the conductive material has an aspect ratio between 5 and 15. 
     
     
         16 . The conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the spinnable polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate, carboxy methyl cellulose, polyurethane, polyester, styrene-butadiene-styrene resin (SBS), polypropylene (PP) Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the conductive fiber is a solid conductive fiber. 
     
     
         18 . The conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the conductive fiber is a hollow conductive fiber. 
     
     
         19 . The conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the conductive fiber further comprises an elastic polymer. 
     
     
         20 . The conductive fiber as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the conductive fiber is a conductive fiber with a core-shell structure, wherein the core-shell structure consists of a core portion and a shell portion, wherein the core portion comprises the spinnable polymer and the conductive material, and the shell portion comprises the elastic polymer.