Electrically-conducting polymer yarn and method of making same

Abstract

A method for making electrically-conductive mesh includes extruding a dispersion of a polymer in a polar solvent through a spinneret into a coagulation bath of non-solvent to the fibers to produce intrinsically electrically-conducting fibers, allowing the intrinsically electrically-conducting fibers to accumulate in the coagulation bath where the fibers entangle forming a mesh, and removing the mesh from the coagulation bath and placing it in a wash bath of a solvent having a relative polarity of less than 0.15.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for making electrically-conductive mesh, comprising:
 extruding a dispersion of an electrically conducting polymer in a polar solvent through a spinneret into a coagulation bath of non-solvent to the electrically conducting polymer to produce intrinsically electrically-conducting fibers;   allowing the intrinsically electrically-conducting fibers to accumulate in the coagulation bath where the intrinsically electrically-conducting fibers entangle forming a mesh;   removing the mesh from the coagulation bath and placing it in a wash bath of a solvent having a relative polarity of less than 0.15.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including selecting the polymer from a group of materials consisting of polyacetylenes, polyphenylenes, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further including removing the mesh from the wash bath and allowing the mesh to dry. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is a dispersion of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) in a polar solvent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further including removing the mesh from the wash bath and allowing the mesh to dry. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , including using a moving belt immersed in the coagulation bath to transfer the PEDOT:PSS fibers to the wash bath. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further including using the moving belt immersed in the wash bath to transfer the mesh from the wash bath for drying.