Light-emitting fabrics integrated with structured polymer optical fibers treated with an infrared CO2 laser

E-textiles represent an emerging technology aiming toward the development of fabric with augmented functionalities, enabling the integration of displays, sensors, and other electronic components into textiles. Healthcare, protective clothing, fashion, and sports are a few examples application areas of e-textiles. Light-emitting textiles can have different applications: sensing, fashion, visual communication, light therapy, etc. Light emission can be integrated with textiles in different ways: fabricating light-emitting fibers and planar light-emitting textiles or employing side-emitting polymer optical fibers (POFs) coupled with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Different kinds of technology have been investigated: alternating current electroluminescent devices (ACELs), inorganic and organic LEDs, and light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). The different device working principles and architectures are discussed in this review, highlighting the most relevant aspects and the possible approaches for their integration with textiles. Regarding POFs, the methodology to obtain side emissions and the critical aspects for their integration into textiles are discussed in this review. The main applications of light-emitting fabrics are illustrated, demonstrating that LEDs, alone or coupled with POFs, represent the most robust technology. On the other hand, OLEDs (Organic LEDs) are very promising for the future of light-emitting fabrics, but some issues still need to be addressed.

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POF — Polymer Optical Fibers for Data Communication

10.1007/978-3-662-04861-0 ◽

2002 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

Werner Daum ◽

Jürgen Krauser ◽

Peter E. Zamzow ◽

Olaf Ziemann

Keyword(s):

Optical Fibers ◽

Data Communication ◽

Polymer Optical Fibers

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Dip coating of thin polymer optical fibers

Optical Fiber Technology ◽

10.1016/j.yofte.2021.102638 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 66 ◽

pp. 102638

Author(s):

Andreas Evertz ◽

Daniel Schrein ◽

Ejvind Olsen ◽

Gerd-Albert Hoffmann ◽

Ludger Overmeyer

Keyword(s):

Optical Fibers ◽

Dip Coating ◽

Thin Polymer ◽

Polymer Optical Fibers

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Distributed Static and Dynamic Strain Measurements in Polymer Optical Fibers by Rayleigh Scattering

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21155049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (15) ◽

pp. 5049

Author(s):

Agnese Coscetta ◽

Ester Catalano ◽

Enis Cerri ◽

Ricardo Oliveira ◽

Lucia Bilro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Fibers ◽

Time Domain ◽

Rayleigh Scattering ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Time Domain Reflectometry ◽

Dynamic Strain ◽

Strain Measurements ◽

Graded Index ◽

Optical Time ◽

Polymer Optical Fibers

We demonstrate the use of a graded-index perfluorinated optical fiber (GI-POF) for distributed static and dynamic strain measurements based on Rayleigh scattering. The system is based on an amplitude-based phase-sensitive Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (ϕ-OTDR) configuration, operated at the unconventional wavelength of 850 nm. Static strain measurements have been carried out at a spatial resolution of 4 m and for a strain up to 3.5% by exploiting the increase of the backscatter Rayleigh coefficient consequent to the application of a tensile strain, while vibration/acoustic measurements have been demonstrated for a sampling frequency up to 833 Hz by exploiting the vibration-induced changes in the backscatter Rayleigh intensity time-domain traces arising from coherent interference within the pulse. The reported tests demonstrate that polymer optical fibers can be used for cost-effective multiparameter sensing.

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Melt-Spun Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers for Color-Tunable Textile Illumination

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14071740 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 1740

Author(s):

Konrad Jakubowski ◽

Manfred Heuberger ◽

Rudolf Hufenus

Keyword(s):

Energy Transfer ◽

Optical Fibers ◽

Color Space ◽

Emission Spectra ◽

Wide Range ◽

Color Tunable ◽

Melt Spun ◽

Polymer Optical Fibers ◽

Collective Emission ◽

Down Conversion

The increasing interest in luminescent waveguides, applied as light concentrators, sensing elements, or decorative illuminating systems, is fostering efforts to further expand their functionality. Yarns and textiles based on a combination of distinct melt-spun polymer optical fibers (POFs), doped with individual luminescent dyes, can be beneficial for such applications since they enable easy tuning of the color of emitted light. Based on the energy transfer occurring between differently dyed filaments within a yarn or textile, the collective emission properties of such assemblies are adjustable over a wide range. The presented study demonstrates this effect using multicolor, meltspun, and photoluminescent POFs to measure their superimposed photoluminescent emission spectra. By varying the concentration of luminophores in yarn and fabric composition, the overall color of the resulting photoluminescent textiles can be tailored by the recapturing of light escaping from individual POFs. The ensuing color space is a mean to address the needs of specific applications, such as decorative elements and textile illumination by UV down-conversion.

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POF-Based Solar Concentrators Incorporating Dyes and Europium Chelates

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14102667 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (10) ◽

pp. 2667

Author(s):

Ander Vieira ◽

Jon Arrue ◽

Begoña García-Ramiro ◽

Felipe Jiménez ◽

María Asunción Illarramendi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Fibers ◽

Organic Dyes ◽

Radiative Energy ◽

Quantum Yields ◽

Solar Concentrators ◽

Europium Ion ◽

Luminescent Solar Concentrators ◽

Simplifying Assumptions ◽

Europium Chelates ◽

Polymer Optical Fibers

In this paper, useful models that enable time-efficient computational analyses of the performance of luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) are developed and thoroughly described. These LSCs are based on polymer optical fibers codoped with organic dyes and/or europium chelates. The interest in such dopants lies in the availability of new dyes with higher quantum yields and in the photostability and suitable absorption and emission bands of europium chelates. Time-efficiency without compromising accuracy is especially important for the simulation of europium chelates, in which non-radiative energy transfers from the absorbing ligands to the europium ion and vice versa are so fast that the discretization in time, in the absence of some simplifying assumptions, would have to be very fine. Some available experimental results are also included for the sake of comparison.

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