Impulsive current test method for characterizing discharge behavior in conductive textiles

Conductive textiles are regarded as a promising candidate for the development of both lightweight and flexible electrical components. On the other hand, the limited availability of high current electrical characterization methods poses a technological barrier which restricts the assessment of their operational limits. This study introduces a novel electrical testing method for conductive textiles and investigates the potential use of impulsive current tests for the evaluation of the current intensity leading to material damage and functional failure. The proposed methodology provides a framework for assessing the tolerance of conductive fabrics to transient high-current loads and identifying failure thresholds, thereby supporting the development and design optimization of conductive textiles for electrical protection applications, including protective garments for high-voltage environments and aerospace composite structures. Herein, each conductive fabric specimen was subjected to a set of 8/20 μs current pulses of incrementally higher energy levels. Test results suggested the identification of a correlation between samples' electrical discharge currents and their electrical resistance, providing a reliable means to estimate the discharge current of any given conductive fabric. Moreover, morphological analysis of the ablation gap conducted through Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) observations proposed that heating due to electrical discharge is a localized phenomenon. The findings validate impulsive current testing as an effective method for the electrical characterization of conductive textiles, thereby supporting the development of advanced smart textiles applications.