Saralon to present stretchable inks for printed electronics

Saralon, based in Chemnitz, Germany, will present its stretchable Saral range of inks designed for printed electronics at the upcoming Future of Electronics Reshaped USA conference and exhibition in Boston from June 13-14. The Saral inks line includes silver, carbon-based, and non-conductive inks for various stretchable and bendable substrates.

Saral StretchSilver 500 is a solvent-based conductive ink specifically made for textiles and rough surfaces. When printed on polyester/elastane knitted fabrics and dried at 120°C for ten minutes, it achieves an initial sheet resistance of 25 mΩ/sq/25 μm. The larger silver particles in the ink prevent penetration into porous surfaces, ensuring good conductivity preservation during and after stretching.

“Emerging areas for our products include wearables and automotive applications,” says Saralon managing director Steve Paschky. “These inks support invisible electronics, simplify bulky electronics integration, and allow direct printing on lightweight materials, significantly reducing weight. Stretchable electronics can flex to fit complex car interiors and conform to the human body, making them ideal for health-monitoring wearables and medical patches.”

Performance tests by STFI, an independent textile research institution in Saxony, showed that Saral StretchSilver 500 outperforms other stretchable inks on the market in terms of conductivity and print control. Saral inks are compatible with all screen printing methods and other processes such as flexographic, pad, dispense, and gravure printing.