Influence of Woven Fabric Structural and Material Parameters on Dielectric Properties

There is much recent interest in antennas constructed from conductive fibers/ink and textiles. This study determines the influence of fiber material and the structure of a woven fabric on its dielectric properties. Results showed that both the dielectric permittivity and the dielectric loss tangent of the woven fabric were related to fiber contents and fabric structure properties, and generally decreased with increased porosity and decreased fabric compactness. ANOVA analysis showed that the linear density of yarn, fabric weaves, and fiber contents were major factors in determining the dielectric properties of woven fabrics. These results will provide a guideline for substrate selection in designing fabric-based electric device such as UHF RFID antennas.