The world of flexible and shape-adaptable heating devices is both fascinating and demanding. Together with heating performances, ease of application and ergonomics are equally fundamental.
Current solutions available on the market feature metal- or carbon-wire resistors which, despite their straightforward design (the only variable to be considered is the length of the wire), suffer from flaws such as localized heating and bulkiness. These impede their application on temperature-sensitive materials and wherever comfort and aesthetics are of utmost importance.
In BeDimensional, we developed highly conductive G-LEAF few-layers graphene-based carbon pastes which can be easily deposited on various substrates in order to create flexible or shape-adaptable resistive elements which completely cover the area of interest. This kind of configuration allows for different advantages, i.e.:
- Fine tunability of the emitted heating power. Working on geometrical variables, such as position and number of the electrodes and thickness of the film, and on the bulk electrical conductivity of the paste, the sought heating power can be easily obtained according to the supplied voltage.
- Homogeneous heating on the whole surface. This avoids hotspots which could damage the underlaying material and allows for lower power consumption to achieve the same heating effect.
- High flexibility in the deposition method. BeDimensional conductive carbon pastes based on our G-LEAF graphene can be applied by means of blading, spraying and diverse printing technologies, granting perfect functionality even on the most complex shapes, including textiles.
- High comfort in wearing. The final heating element creates no discomfort in the most demanding application environments, such as seats and wearables.
- High reliability and self-regulating temperature properties. The heating systems is not subjected to mechanical and/or corrosion-related damages occurring in the metallic wires, while the nearly null thermal coefficient of resistance of G-LEAF graphene avoids the need for external voltage/temperature controllers and multiple temperature sensors to get even heating and prevent overheating issues.