JP2022160798A - Flexible sheet electrode, wearable biological electrode, and biological sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a flexible sheet electrode excellent in electrical conductivity and washing resistance.SOLUTION: A flexible sheet electrode 1 according to the present invention comprises a flexible base material 10, and a conductive elastomer layer 20 provided on the flexible base material 10. The conductive elastomer layer 20 comprises an impregnation layer 21 impregnated into the flexible base material 10, and a lamination layer 23 not impregnated into the flexible base material 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to flexible sheet electrodes, wearable bioelectrodes and biosensors.

Various developments have been made on sheet electrodes. As this type of technology, for example, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is known. Patent Document 1 describes an electrode member characterized by carrying a conductive polymer on the surface of single fibers and/or in the gaps between single fibers constituting a fiber structure (Patent Document 1). Claim 1 of Document 1, etc.). In the examples of the same document, regarding the method of supporting a conductive polymer on a fiber structure, a dispersion in which a conductive polymer such as PEDOT/PSS and a binder are dispersed in a solvent is applied to the fiber structure. A method of gravure coating is described so that the amount is about 15 g/m ² (about 1.5 mg/cm ² ).

WO2015/115440

However, in the electrode member of Patent Literature 1, sufficient consideration has not been given to the configuration in which the conductive elastomer layer is used as the sheet-shaped electrode portion.
As a result of studies by the present inventors, it has been found that sheet electrodes having a conductive elastomer layer have room for improvement in terms of conductivity and resistance to washing.

As a result of further investigation by the present inventors, a configuration in which an impregnated layer in which a flexible base material is impregnated with a conductive elastomer layer and a lamination in which a flexible base material is not impregnated with a conductive elastomer layer are used together. By using, it was found that the conductivity and washing resistance of the flexible sheet electrode can be improved, and the present invention was completed.

According to the invention,
a flexible substrate;
a conductive elastomer layer provided on the flexible substrate;
with
The conductive elastomer layer is
An impregnated layer impregnated inside the flexible substrate and a laminate not impregnated inside the flexible substrate,
A flexible sheet electrode is provided.

Also according to the present invention,
A wearable bioelectrode is provided comprising a flexible sheet electrode as described above.

Also according to the present invention,
A biosensor is provided comprising the wearable bioelectrode described above.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the flexible sheet|seat electrode excellent in electroconductivity and wash resistance, a wearable biomedical electrode using the same, and a biosensor are provided.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the flexible sheet|seat electrode of this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a modification of the flexible sheet electrode; It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the wearable bioelectrode of this embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 3; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of a structure of the biosensor of this embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Also, the drawings are schematic diagrams and do not correspond to actual dimensional ratios.

An outline of the flexible sheet electrode of the present embodiment will be described.

The flexible sheet electrode of this embodiment includes a flexible base material and a conductive elastomer layer provided on the flexible base material. The conductive elastomer layer is configured to comprise an impregnated layer impregnated inside the flexible substrate and a laminate not impregnated inside the flexible substrate.

According to the findings of the present inventors, it has been found that the conductive elastomer layer functioning as an electrode is composed of a laminated layer and an impregnated layer, thereby improving the conductivity and washing resistance of the flexible sheet electrode.
Although the detailed mechanism is not clear, the impregnated layer can maintain the state of adhering the laminate to the flexible substrate due to the anchoring effect, so the conductive elastomer layer can withstand repeated washing or deformation such as repeated expansion, contraction, and bending. It is thought that it is possible to suppress the peeling from the flexible substrate and further suppress the fluctuation of the surface resistance value.

According to this embodiment, a washable flexible sheet electrode can be realized.

A flexible sheet electrode can be applied to various uses, one of which is a wearable bioelectrode. The wearable bioelectrode of this embodiment includes the flexible sheet electrode described above.

Wearable bioelectrodes can detect electrical potential variations from the body, such as heartbeat, muscle activity, and nervous system activity. For example, the wearable bioelectrode may be configured to be used to measure at least one biopotential of cardiac potential, myopotential, and skin potential.

According to this embodiment, a stretchable and/or bendable wearable bioelectrode can be realized.
Such a wearable bioelectrode suppresses disconnection in the flexible sheet electrode even when the base material is deformed, such as expansion and contraction or bending, and enables stable biopotential measurement. Also, even when the base material is deformed, the occurrence of peeling of the flexible sheet electrode from the flexible base material is suppressed, and mutual adhesion is maintained.

A wearable bioelectrode can be used as a wearable device that can be attached to either the body or clothes. Such a wearable bioelectrode can follow the shape of the surface of the body and the movement of the body due to its stretchability. In this case, the wearable bioelectrode may be directly attached to the body, or may be attached to the body via a body attachment member (clothes). Clothes with wearable bioelectrodes include, for example, a configuration in which wearable bioelectrodes are sewn on clothes, or a configuration in which wearable bioelectrodes are used as part of clothes.

The wearable bioelectrode further comprises connectors, electronic parts, etc., and can constitute a biosensor that can be connected to an external device. This biosensor is wearable. By analyzing biopotentials such as electrocardiographic potentials detected by biosensors, biosignal measurement systems suitable for various uses can be constructed.

Such wearable bioelectrodes, biosensors using them, and biosignal measurement systems are expected to be used in various scenes such as physical diagnosis, health management, fitness, rehabilitation, and nursing care.

The configurations of the flexible sheet electrode and the wearable bioelectrode of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

<Flexible sheet electrode>
FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of a flexible sheet electrode 1. FIG. FIG. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view of the flexible sheet electrode 1 taken along line AA of (b), and FIG. 1(b) is a top view of the flexible sheet electrode 1. FIG.

A flexible sheet electrode 1 includes a flexible substrate 10 and a conductive elastomer layer 20 provided on the flexible substrate 10 .

The conductive elastomer layer 20 includes an impregnated layer 21 that is impregnated inside the flexible substrate 10 and a lamination layer 23 that is not impregnated inside the flexible substrate 10 .
Laminate 23 may cover the entire surface of flexible substrate 10 in the area where it is formed, and may consist of a smooth surface.

In one of the cross sections of the flexible sheet electrode 1 of FIG. is the thickness of T3.
The thickness is measured by cutting the flexible sheet electrode 1 in the stacking direction, observing one of the cross sections with an electron microscope, obtaining an SEM image of a predetermined area of, for example, 1 mm x 1 mm, and obtaining an SEM image based on the SEM image. The thickness (T1) of the impregnation layer 21 in which the conductive elastomer layer 20 is impregnated inside the flexible base material, and the thickness (T1) of the laminate 23 in which the conductive elastomer layer 20 is not impregnated inside the flexible base material ( T2) and a method of determining the thickness (T3) of the flexible base material 10 can be employed.

T1 and T2 are configured to satisfy 0.1≦T1/T2≦100, for example.
The lower limit of T1/T2 is, for example, 0.1 or more, preferably 0.2 or more, and more preferably 0.3 or more. Thereby, the adhesion between the conductive elastomer layer and the flexible substrate and the resistance to washing can be improved.
The upper limit of T1/T2 is, for example, 100 or less, preferably 50 or less, more preferably 30 or less. Thereby, the electrical conductivity can be enhanced.

T1 and T3 are configured to satisfy 0.01≦T1/T3≦1, for example.
The lower limit of T1/T3 is, for example, 0.01 or more, preferably 0.05 or more, and more preferably 0.1 or more. Thereby, the adhesion between the conductive elastomer layer and the flexible substrate and the resistance to washing can be improved.
The upper limit of T1/T3 is, for example, 1 or less, preferably 0.8 or less, more preferably 0.6 or less. As a result, deterioration in the flexibility of the flexible sheet electrode can be suppressed.

The lower limit of the adhesion amount of the conductive elastomer layer 20 is, for example, 15 mg/cm ² or more, preferably 30 mg/cm ² or more, more preferably 40 mg/cm ² or more. Thereby, the electrical conductivity can be enhanced.
The upper limit of the adhesion amount of the conductive elastomer layer 20 is, for example, 300 mg/cm ² or less, preferably 250 mg/cm ² or less, more preferably 200 mg/cm ² or less. As a result, deterioration in the flexibility of the flexible sheet electrode can be suppressed.

The conductive elastomer layer 20 has elasticity.

The stretchability in this specification is represented by the elongation rate when stretched in a predetermined direction. As the predetermined direction, for example, in the top view of FIG. 1, the conductive elastomer layer 20, specifically, the direction in which the conductive elastomer layer 20 has the maximum length may be adopted. If the conductive elastomer layer 20 has a quadrangular top view shape, it may be stretched in a diagonal direction.
Having stretchability when stretched in the extension direction means that the elongation rate can be stretched to, for example, 10% or more, preferably 20% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and the elongation rate It means a state in which the conductive elastomer layer 20 is not disconnected at times.

The surface resistance value of the conductive elastomer layer 20 when not stretched at 25°C is defined as R1, and the surface resistance value of the conductive elastomer layer 20 when stretched by 20% in one of the in-plane directions of the surface at 25°C is defined as R2. , R1 and R2 are configured to satisfy 1.0≤R2/R1≤7.0.

The upper limit of R2/R1 is, for example, 7.0 or less, preferably 6.5 or less, more preferably 5.0 or less. Thereby, measurement stability can be improved.
On the other hand, the lower limit of R2/R1 is not particularly limited, but may be 1.0 or more, preferably 1.1 or more.

The resistance measurement such as surface resistivity may be measured between any two points. may

The conductive elastomer layer 20 is configured using a conductive elastomer, which will be described later.
Also, the conductive elastomer layer 20 may be formed by a printing method using a conductive paste containing a conductive elastomer. That is, one example of the conductive elastomer layer 20 is configured by a printed layer of conductive paste. Therefore, it is possible to provide a flexible sheet electrode with excellent flexibility in sheet electrode design.

The flexible base material 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is a base material that can be stretched and/or bent. It may be composed of a base material or the like.

Examples of fiber structural materials for the fiber base include natural fibers such as plant fibers and animal fibers; chemical fibers such as inorganic fibers, regenerated fibers, semi-synthetic fibers and synthetic fibers. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, from the viewpoint of durability, chemical fibers may be used, and synthetic fibers such as acrylic, polyester, nylon, and polyurethane may be used.

A known fiber base material can be used for the fiber base material, and for example, one or both of an insulating material and a conductive material may be used.

The lower limit of the basis weight of the fiber base material is, for example, 10 g/m ² or more, preferably 20 g/m ² or more, more preferably 30 g/m ² or more. This increases the mechanical strength.
On the other hand, the upper limit of the basis weight of the fiber base material is, for example, 500 g/m ² or less, preferably 400 g/m ² or less, more preferably 350 g/m ² or less. Thereby, the fall of flexibility can be suppressed. Also, the degree of impregnation of the conductive elastomer layer can be increased.

The structure of the fiber base material is not limited, but from the viewpoint of flexibility, a woven or knitted fabric may be used.

The upper limit of the thickness T3 of the flexible base material 10 can be set according to the application. By setting the thickness to 600 μm or less, a wearable bioelectrode in the form of a thin film sheet can be realized.
From the viewpoint of mechanical strength, the lower limit of the thickness T3 of the flexible base material 10 is, for example, 10 μm or more, preferably 50 μm or more, and more preferably 100 μm or more.

An example of a method for manufacturing the flexible sheet electrode 1 of this embodiment includes a step of impregnating the flexible base material 10 with a conductive elastomer material.
The form of the conductive elastomer material may be paste or film. The impregnation method can be selected from known methods depending on the form.
The impregnation method includes screen processing, dipping processing, coating processing, calender processing, lamination processing, vacuum impregnation processing and the like. In these processes, blades, rollers, presses, and the like can be used to introduce the conductive elastomeric material into the interior of the flexible substrate 10, with heat if necessary.

As a specific example of the manufacturing method of the flexible sheet electrode 1, an example of screen processing using a conductive paste as a conductive elastomer material and a squeegee will be described.
First, a support is placed on a workbench, and the flexible substrate 10 is placed on the support.
Subsequently, a mask having a predetermined opening pattern shape is placed on the flexible base material 10 .
Subsequently, a conductive paste is applied onto the flexible sheet electrode 1 through a mask using a squeegee.
After that, the conductive paste is subjected to a curing treatment. In the case of a conductive paste containing a silicone rubber-based curable composition, for example, the curing temperature can be 160° C. to 220° C., and the curing time can be 1 hour to 3 hours. Remove the mask after or before curing.
After that, the flexible substrate 10 support is separated to obtain the flexible sheet electrode 1 .

In the present embodiment, the thickness T1 of the impregnated layer 21 of the conductive elastomer layer 20, the thickness T2 of the lamination 23, and the amount of adhesion can be controlled by appropriately selecting the manufacturing method of the flexible sheet electrode 1, for example. is possible. Among these, for example, the thickness of the mask, the number of layers of the mask, the number of times of coating, the solid content concentration of the conductive paste, etc. can be appropriately selected. and a factor for setting the adhesion amount within a desired numerical range.

A modified example of the flexible sheet electrode 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

The flexible base material 10 may be configured such that a part of the flexible base material 10 includes the impregnated layer 21 as shown in FIG. It may be configured to include layer 21 .

Also, the flexible substrate 10 may have an insulating elastomer layer 60 on the side opposite to the side on which the conductive elastomer layer 20 is provided. The insulating elastomeric layer 60 may partially or fully impregnate the flexible substrate 10 . The insulating elastomer layer 60 may be composed of an insulating elastomer, which will be described later.

<Wearable bioelectrode>
FIG. 3 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of the wearable bioelectrode 100. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3. FIG.
A wearable bioelectrode 100 comprises a flexible sheet electrode 1 having a flexible substrate 10 and a conductive elastomer layer 20 .

The wearable bioelectrode 100 allows one surface 22 of the conductive elastomer layer 20 to follow the subject's body, and can detect bioelectric signals generated from bioactivities such as the heart, muscles, skin, and nerves. When the wearable bioelectrode 100 is provided with a plurality of conductive elastomer layers 20 in the in-plane direction of the flexible base material 10, it can be suitably used as an electrode for electrocardiographic waveform measurement.

Subjects include humans, animals other than humans, and the like.

The wearable bioelectrode 100 can be used as a simple and reusable dry sensor instead of a wet sensor that requires application of gel to the measurement area of the subject.

The flexible base material 10 has an electrode forming region on which the conductive elastomer layer 20 is formed when viewed from above. In this electrode forming region, the flexible base material 10 and the conductive elastomer layer 20 are in close contact with each other when not stretched or stretched, and the mechanical strength of the wearable bioelectrode 100 as a whole can be increased.

In addition, the flexible base material 10 may have an electrode non-formation region in which the conductive elastomer layer 20 is not formed around the electricity formation region. An attaching part such as a sewing thread or a snap button can be attached to the electrode non-formation area for attachment to clothes or the like. Alternatively, when the wearable bioelectrode 100 is wrapped around the body such as a wrist or ankle, the non-electrode regions of the flexible base material 10 may overlap in the thickness direction and be fixed to the body.

An example of the flexible substrate 10, as shown in FIG. 1, has at least a portion thereof, for example, a body 12, in a band shape that can be wrapped around the body. Such a wearable bioelectrode 100 has a structure suitable for a band-mounted bioelectrode that can be wrapped around a part of the body, such as a wrist or an ankle.

Moreover, the band-type flexible base material 10 of FIG. Even when the main body 12 is deformed into a ring structure or the like, deformation of the expansion portion 14 is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of poor connection in the external connection portion 30 attached to the extension portion 14 .

The conductive elastomer layer 20 is configured in a sheet shape and has an exposed surface that comes into direct contact with the body.
In the present specification, the term “sheet-like” means that S and D are defined as D (mm) for the thickness of the conductive elastomer layer 20 and S (mm ² ) for the area of one surface 22 of the conductive elastomer layer 20 when viewed from above. , for example, 50≤S/D, preferably 200≤S/D, more preferably 400≤S/D. The upper limit of S/D may be set according to the measurement site of the subject, and is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, S/ ^D≤107 .

The conductive elastomer layer 20 comes into contact with the body when the wearable bioelectrode 100 is used, and can follow the contact surface well along with the surface shape and deformation of the body.

The outside of the wearable bioelectrode 100 may be configured so that the conductive elastomer layer 20 is connected, but the connection part 26, which is a separate member electrically connected to the conductive elastomer layer 20, is connected. It may be configured as The connecting portion 26 may be configured to electrically connect with the conductive elastomer layer 20 via the stretchable wiring 24 as shown in FIG.

The conductive elastomer layer 20, the stretchable traces 24 and the connecting portions 26 are composed of the same/or different conductive elastomers, preferably the same conductive elastomer.

Each part constituting the conductive elastomer layer 20 may be composed of a printed layer formed by a printing method using a conductive paste. In this case, each part including the conductive elastomer layer 20, the elastic wiring 24 and the connecting part 26 may be configured seamlessly with each other.

The external connection part 30 can send the bioelectric signal detected through the conductive elastomer layer 20 to the outside such as an electronic component.

The wearable bioelectrode 100 of FIG. 3 has an external connection section 30 .
The external connection part 30 is provided on the flexible base material 10 on the side opposite to the conductive elastomer layer 20 . For example, the external connection portion 30 in FIG. 2 is formed on the other surface 13 of the flexible substrate 10 . This prevents the external connection part 30 from coming into contact with the body together with the conductive elastomer layer 20 when the wearable bioelectrode 100 is in use, and prevents the detection of bioelectric signals from being hindered.

The external connection part 30 is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to be electrically connected to the conductive elastomer layer 20, but is composed of a conductive material such as a metal material or a conductive elastomer.

The shape of the external connection part 30 is not particularly limited, but it may have a connector that can be connected to an electronic component or a structure that facilitates attachment of wiring.

An example of the external connection part 30 may be a metal snap button.
The external connection part 30 of FIG. 4 is a male snap button and is fixed to the flexible substrate 10 using a mounting plate 32 and a mounting pin 34 which are metal fittings. A fixing method in which the flexible base material 10 is sandwiched between the external connection part 30 and the mounting plate 32 can suppress positional deviation of the fixed position of the external connection part 30 .
The mounting pin 34 contacts a part of the conductive elastomer layer 20 , for example, the connection portion 26 , and can establish electrical continuity between the conductive elastomer layer 20 and the external connection portion 30 .

A part or the entire surface of the mounting plate 32 in FIG. 4 is covered with an insulating protective layer 52 . The insulating protective layer 52 can prevent contact between the mounting plate 32 and the body. The insulating protective layer 52 may be made of an insulating material, such as an insulating elastomer such as silicone rubber.

A biosensor of this embodiment will be described.

The biosensor includes one wearable bioelectrode 100 or two or more wearable bioelectrodes 100 depending on the application. The biosensor may be installed directly on the body, or may be installed on a body attachment member such as clothing.

The biosensor includes electronic components electrically connectable to the wearable bioelectrode 100 via the external connection section 30 .

As electronic parts, known parts can be used according to various uses, and examples include amplifiers, AD converters, CPUs, memories, communication circuits, wireless communication units, analog filters, capacitors, resistors, batteries, and the like. is mentioned. One or more of these may be modularized on a circuit board. As a result, the biosensor can be used as a wearable device.
Other sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, and a pressure sensor may also be used as electronic components.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the biosensor 200. As shown in FIG.
A biosensor 200 in FIG. 5 includes a wearable bioelectrode 100 , a connector 210 , a cable 220 , a sensor module 230 and a computer 240 .

The connector 210 has a structure that can be electrically coupled to the external connection portion 30 of the wearable bioelectrode 100, and may have, for example, a female snap button.
Cable 220 electrically connects connector 210 with sensor module 230 and computer 240, which are electronic components.
The sensor module 230 can use an ECG sensor module for electrocardiographic waveform measurements. The sensor module 230 has electrical circuitry to suppress interference from external RF sources, line frequencies, electrical noise, and can suppress noise when measuring bioelectrical signals.
The computer 240 can acquire bioelectrical signals and generate and output biopotential waveforms such as surface myoelectric potential, electrocardiogram, skin potential, and electroencephalogram. The computer 240 may use a single board computer composed of a printed circuit board including a CPU, peripheral components, input/output interfaces, connectors, and the like.

A biological signal measurement system according to this embodiment will be described.
includes a biosensor. A biosignal measurement system can be a system (measurement device) that displays, analyzes or stores data received from a biosensor.

A modification of the wearable bioelectrode 100 will be described.

The wearable bioelectrode 100 may include a protective layer 50 between the flexible substrate 10 and the external connection portion 30, as shown in FIG. Thereby, it is possible to increase the mechanical strength and prevent the conductive elastomer layer 20 from being damaged when an external terminal is connected to the external connection portion 30 or the like.

The protective layer 50 may be formed wider than the external connection portion 30 when viewed from the other surface 13 side, and may be formed along the shape of the extension portion 14 of the flexible base material 10 . Thereby, the mechanical strength of the extended portion 14 can be increased.

The protective layer 50 may be composed of an elastic material, and may be composed of, for example, an insulating elastomer such as silicone rubber or the same material as the flexible base material 10 . Thereby, the adhesion between the flexible base material 10 and the protective layer 50 can be enhanced.

The flexible base material 10 may be composed of a single layer, or may be composed of a laminate of multiple layers.
Wearable bioelectrode 100 may have a multilayer wiring structure in which flexible substrate 10 and conductive elastomer layer 20 are alternately laminated.

The shape of the flexible base material 10 when viewed from above is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately modified according to the application.

The flexible substrate 10 may have one conductive elastomer layer 20 on the same surface 11, but may have two or more conductive elastomer layers 20 independently. good too.

The shape of the conductive elastomer layer 20 or the conductive elastomer layer 20 when viewed from above is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately modified depending on the application. etc. As a result, a certain amount of contact area with the body can be secured, and measurement stability can be enhanced.

The conductive elastomer layer 20 or the corners of the conductive elastomer layer 20 when viewed from above may have a rounded shape. As a result, it is possible to suppress damage to the conductive elastomer layer 20 due to local stress occurring in the corners during use.

The external connection part 30 may be configured by one member, or may be configured by assembling a plurality of members.
The external connection part 30 is installed on the flexible base material 10 by a mechanical method, but may be installed by a chemical method using an adhesive or the like.

The snap button used for the external connection portion 30 may be either a male snap button or a female snap button. The external connection part 30 is fixed to the flexible base material 10, but may be attached detachably.

The material of the conductive elastomer layer 20 will be described below.

In one example of the flexible sheet electrode 1 of this embodiment, the conductive elastomer layer 20 is made of a conductive elastomer. Also, the insulating elastomer layer 60 is made of an insulating elastomer.
The insulating elastomer and the conductive elastomer may be configured to comprise the same elastomeric material.

Examples of insulating elastomers that can be used include silicone rubber, urethane rubber, fluororubber, nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, styrene rubber, chloroprene rubber, and ethylene propylene rubber. Among these, the elastomer includes one or more thermosetting elastomers (elastomer materials) selected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, urethane rubber, and fluororubber.
The insulating elastomer may be composed of an elastomer material alone or may be composed of an elastomer material and a non-conductive filler. An example of an insulating elastomer includes silicone rubber, preferably silicone rubber and a non-conductive filler. Among elastomers, silicone rubber is chemically stable and has excellent mechanical strength.
Among these, from the viewpoint of hygiene, it is preferable to use silicone rubber, which has high biocompatibility, as the elastomer material.

Examples of conductive elastomers that can be used include silicone rubber, urethane rubber, fluororubber, nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, styrene rubber, chloroprene rubber, and ethylene propylene rubber. Among these, the elastomer includes one or more thermosetting elastomers (elastomer materials) selected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, urethane rubber, and fluororubber, and a conductive filler.
A preferred example of the conductive elastomer contains silicone rubber and a conductive filler. Thereby, the stretchability and conductivity of the conductive elastomer can be enhanced.

At least one, preferably both, of the insulating elastomer and the conductive elastomer may contain non-conductive fillers. As the non-conductive filler, known materials can be used, and for example, silica particles, silicone rubber particles, talc, etc. may be used. Among these, silica particles may be included.

The conductive filler may contain, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of powdery or fibrous metal-based fillers, carbon-based fillers, metal oxide fillers, and metal plated fillers. Among these, a metallic filler such as silver powder may be used as the conductive filler.

The conductive elastomer may further contain a non-conductive filler in addition to the conductive filler. This can enhance the mechanical properties of the conductive elastomer.

As a specific example, the conductive elastomer layer 20 may contain silver powder as a conductive filler, preferably scaly silver powder. This can improve the electrical conductivity and the stretchable electrical conductivity.
Also, the conductive elastomer layer 20 may contain silica particles as silver powder and a non-conductive filler. Thereby, the stretch durability of the conductive elastomer layer 20 can be improved.

At least two or all of the conductive elastomer of the conductive elastomer layer 20, the insulating elastomer of the flexible substrate 10, and the insulating elastomer of the protective layer 50 and the insulating protective layer 52 contain the same elastomer material. may be configured.

In this specification, including the same elastomer material means including at least one or more of the same type of elastomer material among the types of thermosetting elastomers exemplified above.
Moreover, when the same silicone rubber is included, the silicone rubber may be composed of a cured product of a silicone rubber-based curable composition containing a vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane.

The insulating elastomer may be composed of a cured silicone rubber-based curable composition containing a vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane. The conductive elastomer may also be composed of a conductive filler and a cured product of a silicone rubber-based curable composition containing a vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane.

Details of the components in the silicone rubber-based curable composition are described below.

In the present specification, containing the same silicone rubber means that the silicone rubber-based curable composition contains at least the same vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane, and the same kind of cross-linking agent, One or more selected from the group consisting of the same non-conductive filler, the same silane coupling agent, and the same catalyst may be included.

The vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane of the same kind includes at least the same vinyl group with the same functional group and has a linear shape. can be different.

The same type of cross-linking agent should have at least a common structure such as a linear structure or a branched structure, and may contain different molecular weight distributions and different functional groups in the molecule, and the amount added may be different. may

Non-conductive fillers of the same type may have at least common constituent materials, and may differ in particle size, specific surface area, surface treatment agent, or addition amount thereof.

The silane coupling agents of the same kind should have at least a common functional group, and may differ in other functional groups in the molecule and in the amount added.

Catalysts of the same kind may have at least common constituent materials, and the catalysts may contain different compositions and may differ in addition amount.

The silicone rubber-based curable composition that constitutes the same silicone rubber further comprises different types of vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane, a cross-linking agent, a non-conductive filler, a silane coupling agent, and a catalyst. One or two or more selected from the group may be included.

The silicone rubber-based curable composition of the present embodiment can contain a vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A). The vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) is a polymer that is the main component of the silicone rubber-based curable composition of the present embodiment.

The vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) can contain a vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) having a linear structure.

The vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) has a linear structure and contains vinyl groups, and the vinyl groups serve as crosslinking points during curing.

The vinyl group content of the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) is not particularly limited, but for example, it preferably has two or more vinyl groups in the molecule and is 15 mol % or less. . As a result, the amount of vinyl groups in the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) is optimized, and a network can be reliably formed with each component described later.

In the present specification, "-" means including upper and lower limits unless otherwise specified.

In the present specification, the vinyl group content is the mol % of the vinyl group-containing siloxane units when the total units constituting the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) are taken as 100 mol %. . However, one vinyl group is considered to be one vinyl group-containing siloxane unit.

The degree of polymerization of the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) is not particularly limited, but is, for example, preferably in the range of about 1,000 to 10,000, more preferably in the range of about 2,000 to 5,000. The degree of polymerization can be determined, for example, as a polystyrene-equivalent number-average polymerization degree (or number-average molecular weight) in GPC (gel permeation chromatography) using chloroform as a developing solvent.

Furthermore, the specific gravity of the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of about 0.9 to 1.1.

As the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1), the heat resistance, flame retardancy, chemical stability, etc. of the resulting silicone rubber can be improved by using those having the degree of polymerization and specific gravity within the ranges described above. can be improved.

As the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1), those having a structure represented by the following formula (1) are particularly preferred.

In formula (1), R ¹ is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, alkenyl group, aryl group, or a hydrocarbon group of a combination thereof having 1 to 10 carbon atoms. The alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms includes, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, etc. Among them, methyl group is preferred. The alkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms includes, for example, vinyl group, allyl group, butenyl group, etc. Among them, vinyl group is preferred. The aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms includes, for example, a phenyl group.

R ² is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, alkenyl group, aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a hydrocarbon group combining these. The alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms includes, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, etc. Among them, methyl group is preferred. Examples of alkenyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include vinyl groups, allyl groups and butenyl groups. Examples of the aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include a phenyl group.

R ³ is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group, or a hydrocarbon group combining these. The alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms includes, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, etc. Among them, methyl group is preferred. Examples of the aryl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms include a phenyl group.

Furthermore, examples of substituents for R ¹ and R ² in formula (1) include methyl group and vinyl group, and examples of substituents for R ³ include methyl group.

In formula (1), a plurality of R ¹ are independent of each other and may be different or the same. Furthermore, the same applies to R ² and R ³ .

Furthermore, m and n are the numbers of repeating units constituting the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) represented by formula (1), m is an integer of 0 to 2000, and n is 1000 to 10000. is an integer of m is preferably 0-1000 and n is preferably 2000-5000.

Further, specific structures of the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) represented by formula (1) include, for example, those represented by the following formula (1-1).

In formula (1-1), R ¹ and R ² are each independently a methyl group or a vinyl group, and at least one is a vinyl group.

The vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) is a first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane having a vinyl group content of 2 or more vinyl groups in the molecule and not more than 0.4 mol %. It may contain organopolysiloxane (A1-1). The vinyl group content of the first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) may be 0.1 mol % or less.

Further, the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1) is the first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) and the second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) having a vinyl group content of 0.5 to 15 mol%. and a vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-2).

As crude rubber, which is a raw material of silicone rubber, a first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) and a second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane having a high vinyl group content (A1-2 ), the vinyl groups can be unevenly distributed, and the crosslink density can be more effectively formed in the crosslink network of the silicone rubber. As a result, the tear strength of silicone rubber can be increased more effectively.

Specifically, as the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1), for example, in the above formula (1-1), a unit in which R1 is a vinyl group and/or a unit in which R2 is a vinyl group is used as a molecule A first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) having 2 or more in and containing 0.4 mol% or less, and a unit in which R1 is a vinyl group and / or R2 is a vinyl group It is preferable to use the second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-2) containing 0.5 to 15 mol % of the unit.

The first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) preferably has a vinyl group content of 0.01 to 0.2 mol %. The second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-2) preferably has a vinyl group content of 0.8 to 12 mol %.

Furthermore, when combining the first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) and the second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-2), (A1-1) and (A1-2) is not particularly limited, but for example, the weight ratio of (A1-1):(A1-2) is preferably 50:50 to 95:5, and 80:20 to 90: 10 is more preferred.

The first and second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxanes (A1-1) and (A1-2) may be used singly or in combination of two or more. good.

Also, the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) may contain a vinyl group-containing branched organopolysiloxane (A2) having a branched structure.

<<Organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B)>>
The silicone rubber-based curable composition of the present embodiment can contain an organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B).
Organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B) is classified into linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) having a linear structure and branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) having a branched structure. Either or both may be included.

The linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) has a linear structure and a structure (≡Si—H) in which hydrogen is directly bonded to Si, and is the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A). It is a polymer that undergoes a hydrosilylation reaction with other vinyl groups and other vinyl groups contained in other components of the silicone rubber-based curable composition to crosslink these components.

The molecular weight of the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) is not particularly limited.

The weight average molecular weight of the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) can be measured, for example, by polystyrene conversion in GPC (gel permeation chromatography) using chloroform as a developing solvent.

Also, the straight-chain organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) generally preferably does not have a vinyl group. Thereby, it is possible to accurately prevent the progress of the cross-linking reaction in the molecule of the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1).

As the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) as described above, for example, one having a structure represented by the following formula (2) is preferably used.

In formula (2), R ⁴ is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, alkenyl group, aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon group combining these groups, or a hydride group. The alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms includes, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, etc. Among them, methyl group is preferable. Examples of alkenyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include vinyl groups, allyl groups and butenyl groups. Examples of the aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include a phenyl group.

R ⁵ is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, alkenyl group, aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon group combining these, or a hydride group. Examples of the alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include methyl group, ethyl group and propyl group, with methyl group being preferred. Examples of alkenyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include vinyl groups, allyl groups and butenyl groups. Examples of the aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include a phenyl group.

In formula (2), a plurality of R ⁴ are independent of each other and may be different from each other or may be the same. The ^same is true for R5. However, at least two or more of the plurality of R ⁴ and R ⁵ are hydride groups.

R ⁶ is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group, or a hydrocarbon group combining these. The alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms includes, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, etc. Among them, methyl group is preferred. Examples of the aryl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms include a phenyl group. A plurality of R ⁶ are independent from each other and may be different from each other or may be the same.

Examples of substituents for R ⁴ , R ⁵ and R ⁶ in formula (2) include methyl group and vinyl group, and methyl group is preferred from the viewpoint of preventing intramolecular cross-linking reaction.

Further, m and n are the numbers of repeating units constituting the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) represented by formula (2), m is an integer of 2 to 150, and n is an integer of 2 to 150. is. Preferably, m is an integer from 2-100 and n is an integer from 2-100.

In addition, linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more types.

Since the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) has a branched structure, it is a component that forms regions with a high crosslink density and greatly contributes to the formation of a loose and dense crosslink structure in the silicone rubber system. Further, like the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1), it has a structure (≡Si—H) in which hydrogen is directly bonded to Si, and in addition to the vinyl group of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A), silicone It is a polymer that undergoes a hydrosilylation reaction with the vinyl groups of the components blended in the rubber-based curable composition to crosslink these components.

Further, the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) has a specific gravity in the range of 0.9 to 0.95.

Furthermore, it is generally preferred that the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) does not have a vinyl group. Thereby, it is possible to accurately prevent the progress of the cross-linking reaction in the molecule of the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2).

As the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2), those represented by the following average compositional formula (c) are preferred.

Average composition formula (c)
(H _a (R ⁷ ) _3-a SiO _1/2 ) _m (SiO _4/2 ) _n
(In formula (c), R ⁷ is a monovalent organic group, a is an integer ranging from 1 to 3, m is the number of H _a (R ⁷ ) _3-a SiO _1/2 units, n is SiO _4/ is a number of ₂ units)

In formula (c), R ⁷ is a monovalent organic group, preferably a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an aryl group, or a hydrocarbon group combining these. The alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms includes, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, etc. Among them, methyl group is preferred. Examples of the aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include a phenyl group.

In formula (c), a is the number of hydride groups (hydrogen atoms directly bonded to Si) and is an integer in the range of 1-3, preferably 1.

In formula (c), m is the number of H _a (R ⁷ ) _3-a SiO _1/2 units, and n is the number of SiO _4/2 units.

The branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) has a branched structure. The linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) and the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) differ in that their structures are linear or branched. The number of bound alkyl groups R (R/Si) is 1.8 to 2.1 for the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) and 0.8 to 1 for the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2). .7 range.

Since the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) has a branched structure, for example, when heated to 1000° C. at a heating rate of 10° C./min in a nitrogen atmosphere, the residual amount is 5% or more. becomes. On the other hand, since the straight-chain organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) is straight-chain, the amount of residue after heating under the above conditions is almost zero.

Specific examples of the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) include those having a structure represented by the following formula (3).

In formula (3), R ⁷ is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group, a hydrocarbon group combining these, or a hydrogen atom. The alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms includes, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, etc. Among them, methyl group is preferred. Examples of the aryl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms include a phenyl group. Examples of the substituent of ^R7 include a methyl group and the like.

In formula (3), a plurality of R ⁷ are independent of each other and may be different from each other or may be the same.

In formula (3), "--O--Si.ident." represents that Si has a branched structure extending three-dimensionally.

The branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2) may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Moreover, in the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) and the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2), the amount of hydrogen atoms (hydride groups) directly bonded to Si is not particularly limited. However, in the silicone rubber-based curable composition, linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1) and branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane are The total amount of hydride groups in the siloxane (B2) is preferably from 0.5 to 5 mol, more preferably from 1 to 3.5 mol. As a result, a crosslinked network is reliably formed between the linear organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B1), the branched organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B2), and the vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1). can be made

<<Silica particles (C)>>
The silicone rubber-based curable composition of the present embodiment can optionally contain silica particles (C) as a non-conductive filler.

Silica particles (C) are not particularly limited, but for example, fumed silica, pyrogenic silica, precipitated silica and the like are used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The silica particles (C) preferably have a BET specific surface area of, for example, 50 to 400 m ² /g, more preferably 100 to 400 m ² /g. Also, the average primary particle size of the silica particles (C) is, for example, preferably 1 to 100 nm, more preferably about 5 to 20 nm.

By using silica particles (C) having a specific surface area and an average particle size within the above ranges, the hardness and mechanical strength of the silicone rubber formed can be improved, particularly the tensile strength can be improved.

<<Silane coupling agent (D)>>
The silicone rubber-based curable composition of the present embodiment can contain a silane coupling agent (D).
Silane coupling agent (D) can have a hydrolyzable group. The hydrolyzable group is hydrolyzed with water to form a hydroxyl group, and the hydroxyl group undergoes a dehydration condensation reaction with the hydroxyl group on the surface of the silica particle (C), thereby modifying the surface of the silica particle (C).

Moreover, this silane coupling agent (D) can contain a silane coupling agent having a hydrophobic group. As a result, the hydrophobic group is imparted to the surface of the silica particles (C), so that the cohesive force of the silica particles (C) in the silicone rubber-based curable composition and further in the silicone rubber is reduced (hydrogen aggregation due to bonding is reduced), and as a result, it is presumed that the dispersibility of the silica particles in the silicone rubber-based curable composition is improved. This increases the interface between the silica particles and the rubber matrix, increasing the reinforcing effect of the silica particles. Furthermore, it is presumed that the slipperiness of the silica particles in the matrix is improved when the rubber matrix is deformed. The improved dispersibility and slipperiness of the silica particles (C) improve the mechanical strength (for example, tensile strength and tear strength) of the silicone rubber due to the silica particles (C).

Furthermore, the silane coupling agent (D) can contain a silane coupling agent having a vinyl group. As a result, vinyl groups are introduced onto the surfaces of the silica particles (C). Therefore, during curing of the silicone rubber-based curable composition, that is, a hydrosilylation reaction occurs between the vinyl group of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) and the hydride group of the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B). , When a network (crosslinked structure) is formed by these, the vinyl groups possessed by the silica particles (C) also participate in the hydrosilylation reaction with the hydride groups possessed by the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B). Silica particles (C) also come to be taken in. As a result, it is possible to reduce the hardness and increase the modulus of the formed silicone rubber.

As the silane coupling agent (D), a silane coupling agent having a hydrophobic group and a silane coupling agent having a vinyl group can be used in combination.

Examples of the silane coupling agent (D) include those represented by the following formula (4).

_Yn -Si-(X) _4-n (4)
In the above formula (4), n represents an integer of 1-3. Y represents a functional group having a hydrophobic group, a hydrophilic group or a vinyl group, and when n is 1 it is a hydrophobic group, and when n is 2 or 3 at least one of It is a hydrophobic group. X represents a hydrolyzable group.

The hydrophobic group is an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group, or a hydrocarbon group having a combination thereof, and examples thereof include a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a phenyl group, and the like. Methyl groups are preferred.

Moreover, the hydrophilic group includes, for example, a hydroxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a carboxyl group, a carbonyl group, etc. Among them, a hydroxyl group is particularly preferable. The hydrophilic group may be contained as a functional group, but is preferably not contained from the viewpoint of imparting hydrophobicity to the silane coupling agent (D).

Further, the hydrolyzable group includes an alkoxy group such as a methoxy group and an ethoxy group, a chloro group, a silazane group, and the like. Among them, a silazane group is preferable because of its high reactivity with the silica particles (C). A compound having a silazane group as a hydrolyzable group has two structures of (Y _n —Si—) in the above formula (4) due to its structural characteristics.

Specific examples of the silane coupling agent (D) represented by the above formula (4) include, for example, those having a hydrophobic group as a functional group, such as methyltrimethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, Alkoxysilanes such as ethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, n-propyltrimethoxysilane, n-propyltriethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltriethoxysilane, decyltrimethoxysilane; methyltrichlorosilane; chlorosilanes such as dimethyldichlorosilane, trimethylchlorosilane, phenyltrichlorosilane; hexamethyldisilazane; alkoxysilanes such as propylmethyldiethoxysilane, methacryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinylmethyldimethoxysilane; chlorosilanes such as vinyltrichlorosilane, vinylmethyldichlorosilane; Among them, hexamethyldisilazane is particularly preferable as one having a hydrophobic group, and divinyltetramethyldisilazane as one having a vinyl group, in view of the above description.

In the present embodiment, the lower limit of the content of the silane coupling agent (D) is preferably 1% by mass or more with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A). It is more preferably at least 5% by mass, even more preferably at least 5% by mass. In addition, the upper limit of the content of the silane coupling agent (D) is preferably 100% by mass or less, and 80% by mass or less, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A). It is more preferable that the content is 40% by mass or less.
By making the content of the silane coupling agent (D) equal to or higher than the above lower limit value, when using the silica particles (C), it is possible to contribute to the improvement of the mechanical strength of the silicone rubber as a whole. Moreover, by setting the content of the silane coupling agent (D) to the above upper limit or less, the silicone rubber can have appropriate mechanical properties.

<<platinum or platinum compound (E)>>
The silicone rubber-based curable composition of this embodiment can contain platinum or a platinum compound (E).
Platinum or a platinum compound (E) is a catalytic component that acts as a catalyst during curing. The amount of platinum or platinum compound (E) added is a catalytic amount.

As the platinum or platinum compound (E), a known one can be used, for example, platinum black, platinum supported on silica or carbon black, chloroplatinic acid or an alcohol solution of chloroplatinic acid, A complex salt of platinic acid and olefin, a complex salt of chloroplatinic acid and vinyl siloxane, and the like are included.

In addition, platinum or a platinum compound (E) may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

<<Water (F)>>
Further, the silicone rubber-based curable composition of the present embodiment may contain water (F) in addition to the above components (A) to (E).

Water (F) is a component that functions as a dispersion medium for dispersing each component contained in the silicone rubber-based curable composition and contributes to the reaction between the silica particles (C) and the silane coupling agent (D). . Therefore, the silica particles (C) and the silane coupling agent (D) can be linked to each other more reliably in the silicone rubber, and uniform properties can be exhibited as a whole.

Furthermore, when water (F) is contained, the content thereof can be appropriately set, but specifically, for 100 parts by weight of the silane coupling agent (D), for example, 10 to 100 parts by weight. and more preferably 30 to 70 parts by weight. This allows the reaction between the silane coupling agent (D) and the silica particles (C) to proceed more reliably.

(other ingredients)
Furthermore, the silicone rubber-based curable composition of the present embodiment may further contain other components in addition to the above components (A) to (F). Other components include silica particles (C) such as diatomaceous earth, iron oxide, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, barium oxide, magnesium oxide, cerium oxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, zinc carbonate, glass wool, and mica. additives such as inorganic fillers, reaction inhibitors, dispersants, pigments, dyes, antistatic agents, antioxidants, flame retardants, and thermal conductivity improvers.

In addition, although the content ratio of each component in the silicone rubber-based curable composition is not particularly limited, it is set as follows, for example.

In the present embodiment, the upper limit of the content of the silica particles (C) may be, for example, 60 parts by weight or less, preferably 50 parts by weight, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A). It may be less than or equal to 40 parts by weight or less. This makes it possible to balance mechanical strength such as hardness and tensile strength. Moreover, the lower limit of the content of the silica particles (C) is not particularly limited to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A), but may be, for example, 10 parts by weight or more.

The silane coupling agent (D) preferably contains, for example, 5 parts by weight or more and 100 parts by weight or less of the silane coupling agent (D) with respect to 100 parts by weight of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A). , more preferably 5 parts by weight or more and 40 parts by weight or less. Thereby, the dispersibility of the silica particles (C) in the silicone rubber-based curable composition can be reliably improved.

The content of the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B) is specifically, for example , preferably 0.5 to 20 parts by weight, more preferably 0.8 to 15 parts by weight. When the content of (B) is within the above range, a more effective curing reaction may be possible.

The content of platinum or platinum compound (E) means the amount of catalyst and can be set as appropriate. Specifically, vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A), silica particles (C), silane coupling agent ( The amount of the platinum group metal in this component is 0.01 to 1000 ppm by weight, preferably 0.1 to 500 ppm, based on the total amount of D). By setting the content of platinum or platinum compound (E) to the above lower limit or more, the resulting silicone rubber composition can be sufficiently cured. By setting the content of platinum or platinum compound (E) to the above upper limit or less, the curing speed of the obtained silicone rubber composition can be improved.

Furthermore, when water (F) is contained, the content thereof can be appropriately set, but specifically, for 100 parts by weight of the silane coupling agent (D), for example, 10 to 100 parts by weight. and more preferably 30 to 70 parts by weight. This allows the reaction between the silane coupling agent (D) and the silica particles (C) to proceed more reliably.

In the present embodiment, for example, the hardness, tensile strength, Elongation at break and tear strength can be controlled. Among these, for example, it is necessary to appropriately control the type and compounding ratio of the resins that make up the silicone rubber, the crosslink density and crosslinked structure of the resin, and to improve the compounding ratio of the inorganic filler and the bonding of the inorganic filler to the rubber. using a first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) having a vinyl group content of 0.4 mol% or less, using a silane coupling agent having a vinyl group, silica Appropriate adjustment of the content of the particles (C) and the content of the silane coupling agent are factors for setting the hardness, tensile strength, elongation at break, and tear strength within the desired numerical ranges.

<Method for producing silicone rubber>
Next, a method for producing the silicone rubber of this embodiment will be described.
As a method for producing the silicone rubber of the present embodiment, the silicone rubber can be obtained by preparing a silicone rubber-based curable composition and curing the silicone rubber-based curable composition.
Details will be described below.

First, each component of the silicone rubber-based curable composition is uniformly mixed using any kneading device to prepare the silicone rubber-based curable composition.

[1] For example, a vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A), silica particles (C), and a silane coupling agent (D) are weighed in predetermined amounts, and then kneaded with an arbitrary kneading device, A kneaded material containing these components (A), (C) and (D) is obtained.

The kneaded product is preferably obtained by previously kneading the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) and the silane coupling agent (D), and then kneading (mixing) the silica particles (C). This further improves the dispersibility of the silica particles (C) in the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A).

Further, when obtaining this kneaded product, water (F) may be added to the kneaded product of each component (A), (C), and (D), if necessary. This allows the reaction between the silane coupling agent (D) and the silica particles (C) to proceed more reliably.

Further, the kneading of the components (A), (C) and (D) is preferably carried out through a first step of heating at a first temperature and a second step of heating at a second temperature. As a result, in the first step, the surface of the silica particles (C) can be surface-treated with the coupling agent (D), and in the second step, the silica particles (C) and the coupling agent (D) By-products generated in the reaction can be reliably removed from the kneaded material. After that, if necessary, the component (A) may be added to the obtained kneaded product and further kneaded. This can improve the familiarity of the components of the kneaded product.

The first temperature is preferably, for example, about 40 to 120.degree. C., and more preferably, for example, about 60 to 90.degree. The second temperature is, for example, preferably about 130 to 210.degree. C., more preferably about 160 to 180.degree.

Moreover, the atmosphere in the first step is preferably an inert atmosphere such as a nitrogen atmosphere, and the atmosphere in the second step is preferably a reduced-pressure atmosphere.

Furthermore, the time for the first step is preferably, for example, about 0.3 to 1.5 hours, more preferably about 0.5 to 1.2 hours. The time for the second step is, for example, preferably about 0.7 to 3.0 hours, more preferably about 1.0 to 2.0 hours.

By setting the first step and the second step under the above conditions, the above effect can be obtained more significantly.

[2] Next, the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B) and the platinum or platinum compound (E) are weighed in predetermined amounts, and then the kneaded product prepared in the above step [1] using any kneading device. Then, the respective components (B) and (E) are kneaded to obtain a silicone rubber-based curable composition. The obtained silicone rubber-based curable composition may be a paste containing a solvent.

When kneading the components (B) and (E), the kneaded product previously prepared in the above step [1] and the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B) were prepared in the above step [1]. It is preferable to knead the kneaded material with platinum or the platinum compound (E), and then knead the respective kneaded materials. This ensures that each component (A) to (E) is contained in the silicone rubber-based curable composition without allowing the reaction between the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) and the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B) to proceed. can be distributed in

The temperature at which the respective components (B) and (E) are kneaded is preferably, for example, about 10 to 70°C, more preferably about 25 to 30°C, as the set temperature of the rolls.

Further, the kneading time is preferably about 5 minutes to 1 hour, more preferably about 10 to 40 minutes.

In the steps [1] and [2], the reaction between the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) and the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B) proceeds more accurately by setting the temperature within the above range. can be prevented or suppressed; In addition, by setting the kneading time within the above range in steps [1] and [2], each component (A) to (E) can be more reliably dispersed in the silicone rubber-based curable composition. can be done.

The kneading device used in steps [1] and [2] is not particularly limited, but for example, a kneader, two rolls, a Banbury mixer (continuous kneader), a pressure kneader, etc. can be used.

In step [2], a reaction inhibitor such as 1-ethynylcyclohexanol may be added to the kneaded product. As a result, even if the temperature of the kneaded product is set to a relatively high temperature, the progress of the reaction between the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) and the organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B) can be more accurately prevented or suppressed. be able to.

[3] Next, a silicone rubber is formed by curing the silicone rubber-based curable composition.

In the present embodiment, the curing step of the silicone rubber-based curable resin composition includes, for example, heating at 100 to 250° C. for 1 to 30 minutes (primary curing), followed by post-baking at 200° C. for 1 to 4 hours (secondary curing). curing).

Through the steps described above, a silicone rubber composed of a cured product of the silicone rubber-based curable resin composition can be obtained.

[3] Next, an insulating paste can be obtained by dissolving the silicone rubber-based curable composition obtained in step [2] in a solvent.
[3] Next, a conductive paste can be obtained by dissolving the silicone rubber-based curable composition obtained in step [2] in a solvent and adding a conductive filler.

(solvent)
Conductive pastes and insulating pastes contain solvents.
As the solvent, various known solvents can be used, and for example, a high boiling point solvent can be included. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The lower limit of the boiling point of the high boiling point solvent is, for example, 100° C. or higher, preferably 130° C. or higher, and more preferably 150° C. or higher. As a result, the printing stability of screen printing or the like can be improved. On the other hand, the upper limit of the boiling point of the high boiling point solvent is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 300° C. or lower, 290° C. or lower, or 280° C. or lower. As a result, excessive heat history during wiring formation can be suppressed, so damage to the substrate and the shape of the wiring formed with the conductive paste can be maintained favorably.

The solvent can be appropriately selected from the viewpoint of the solubility and boiling point of the silicone rubber-based curable resin composition. of aliphatic hydrocarbons, more preferably aliphatic hydrocarbons having 10 to 15 carbon atoms.

Examples of solvents include aliphatic hydrocarbons such as pentane, hexane, cyclohexane, heptane, methylcyclohexane, ethylcyclohexane, octane, decane, dodecane, and tetradecane; Aromatic hydrocarbons such as fluoromethylbenzene and benzotrifluoride; diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, dibutyl ether, cyclopentyl methyl ether, cyclopentyl ethyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene Ethers such as glycol dimethyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl-n-propyl ether, 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran; dichloromethane, chloroform, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1 Haloalkanes such as ,1-trichloroethane and 1,1,2-trichloroethane; Carboxylic acid amides such as N,N-dimethylformamide and N,N-dimethylacetamide; Sulfoxides such as dimethylsulfoxide and diethylsulfoxide; and the like can be exemplified. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The solvent used here may be appropriately selected from solvents capable of uniformly dissolving or dispersing the components in the conductive paste.

The upper limit of the polar term (δ _p ) of the Hansen solubility parameter of the solvent is, for example, 10 MPa ^1/2 or less, preferably 7 MPa ^1/2 or less, more preferably 5.5 MPa ^1/2 or less. A first solvent can be included. This makes it possible to improve the dispersibility and solubility of the silicone rubber-based curable resin composition in the paste. Although the lower limit of the polarity term (δ _p ) of the first solvent is not particularly limited, it may be 0 Pa ^1/2 or more, for example.

The upper limit of the hydrogen bond term (δ _h ) of the Hansen solubility parameter in the first solvent is, for example, 20 MPa ^1/2 or less, preferably 10 MPa ^1/2 or less, more preferably 7 MPa ^1/2 or less. be. This makes it possible to improve the dispersibility and solubility of the silicone rubber-based curable resin composition in the paste. Although the lower limit of the hydrogen bond term (δ _h ) of the first solvent is not particularly limited, it may be 0 Pa ^1/2 or more, for example.

The Hansen Solubility Parameter (HSP) is an index representing the solubility of a substance in another substance. HSP represents solubility in a three-dimensional vector. This three-dimensional vector can typically be represented by a dispersion term (δ _d ), a polarity term (δ _p ), and a hydrogen bond term (δ _h ). And it can be judged that the solubility is high when the vectors are similar to each other. The degree of vector similarity can be determined by the distance of the Hansen Solubility Parameter (HSP distance).

The Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP values) used in this specification can be calculated using software called HSPiP (Hansen Solubility Parameters in Practice). Here, the computer software HSPiP developed by Hansen and Abbott includes functions for calculating HSP distances and a database describing Hansen parameters for various resins and solvents or non-solvents.
Investigate the solubility of each resin in a pure solvent and a mixed solvent of a good solvent and a poor solvent, enter the results into the HSPiP software, D: dispersion term, P: polar term, H: hydrogen bond term, R0: radius of dissolving sphere Calculate

As the solvent used in the present embodiment, for example, a solvent having a small difference in HSP distance, polarity term, and hydrogen bond term between the elastomer and the constituent units constituting the elastomer and the solvent can be selected.

The lower limit of the viscosity of the conductive paste and/or the insulating paste when measured at a room temperature of 25° C. and a shear rate of 20 [1/s] is, for example, 1 Pa s or more, preferably 5 Pa s or more. , more preferably 10 Pa·s or more. Thereby, the film formability can be improved. In addition, it is possible to improve shape retention even when forming a thick film. On the other hand, the upper limit of the viscosity of the conductive paste and/or the insulating paste at room temperature of 25° C. is, for example, 100 Pa·s or less, preferably 90 Pa·s or less, and more preferably 80 Pa·s or less. . This makes it possible to improve the printability of the paste.

At room temperature of 25 ° C., the viscosity when measured at a shear rate of 1 [1/s] is η1, the viscosity when measured at a shear rate of 5 [1/s] is η5, and the thixotropic index is the viscosity ratio (η1/η5 ).
At this time, the lower limit of the thixotropic index of the conductive paste and/or the insulating paste is, for example, 1.0 or more, preferably 1.1 or more, and more preferably 1.2 or more. Thereby, the shape of the wiring obtained by the printing method can be stably maintained. On the other hand, the upper limit of the thixotropic index of the conductive paste and/or the insulating paste is, for example, 3.0 or less, preferably 2.5 or less, and more preferably 2.0 or less. This makes it possible to improve the printability of the paste.

The content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition in the insulating paste is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, and 20% by mass or more based on 100% by mass of the insulating paste. is more preferable. In addition, the content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition in the insulating paste is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the insulating paste. % or less.

(Conductive filler)
As the conductive filler, a known conductive material may be used, and metal powder (G) may also be used.
The metal constituting the metal powder (G) is not particularly limited, but for example, at least one of copper, silver, gold, nickel, tin, lead, zinc, bismuth, antimony, or alloyed metal powder thereof, Alternatively, two or more of these can be included.
Among these, the metal powder (G) preferably contains silver or copper, that is, contains silver powder or copper powder, because of its high conductivity and high availability.
These metal powders (G) may be coated with other kinds of metals.

In this embodiment, the shape of the metal powder (G) is not limited, but conventionally used shapes such as dendritic, spherical, and scaly can be used. Among these, scaly metal powder (G) may be used.

The particle size of the metal powder (G) is also not limited, but for example, the average particle size _D50 is preferably 0.001 μm or more, more preferably 0.01 μm or more, and still more preferably 0.1 μm or more. be. The particle diameter of the metal powder (G) is, for example, preferably 1,000 μm or less, more preferably 100 μm or less, and still more preferably 20 μm or less in terms of average particle diameter _D50 .
By setting the average particle diameter _D50 in such a range, it is possible to exhibit appropriate conductivity as a silicone rubber.
The particle size of the metal powder (G) is determined by, for example, conducting image analysis after observing a conductive paste or silicone rubber molded using a conductive paste with a transmission electron microscope or the like. It can be defined as the average value of 200 flours.

The content of the conductive filler in the conductive paste is preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, and 40% by mass or more with respect to the entire conductive paste. is more preferred. In addition, the content of the conductive filler in the conductive paste is preferably 85% by mass or less, more preferably 75% by mass or less, and 65% by mass or less with respect to the entire conductive paste. It is even more preferable to have
By setting the content of the conductive filler to the above lower limit or more, the silicone rubber can have appropriate conductive properties. Also, by setting the content of the conductive filler to the above upper limit or less, the silicone rubber can have appropriate flexibility.

The content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition in the conductive paste is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, and 5% by mass or more based on 100% by mass of the conductive paste. is more preferable. In addition, the content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition in the conductive paste is preferably 25% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the conductive paste. % or less.
By setting the content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition to the above lower limit or more, the silicone rubber can have appropriate flexibility. Further, by setting the content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition to the above upper limit or less, it is possible to improve the mechanical strength of the silicone rubber.

The lower limit of the content of the silica particles (C) in the conductive paste is, for example, 1% by mass or more, preferably 3% by mass, with respect to 100% by mass of the total amount of the silica particles (C) and the conductive filler. % or more, more preferably 4% by mass or more. Thereby, the mechanical strength of the silicone rubber can be improved. On the other hand, the upper limit of the content of the silica particles (C) in the conductive paste is, for example, 20% by mass or less with respect to 100% by mass of the total amount of the silica particles (C) and the conductive filler. , preferably 15% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less. Thereby, it is possible to achieve a balance between the elastic electrical properties and the mechanical strength of the silicone rubber.

The lower limit of the content of the conductive filler in the conductive cured product obtained by curing the conductive paste constituting the conductive elastomer layer 20 is, for example, 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass in 100% by mass of the conductive cured product. % or more, more preferably 70 mass % or more. This makes it possible to enhance the elastic electrical properties. On the other hand, the upper limit of the content of the conductive filler in the conductive cured product is, for example, 90% by mass or less, preferably 88% by mass or less, more preferably 85% by mass or less in 100% by mass of the conductive elastomer layer 20. be. Thereby, deterioration of rubber properties such as stretchability can be suppressed.

The lower limit of the content of the silica particles (C) in the conductive cured product obtained by curing the conductive paste constituting the conductive elastomer layer 20 is based on 100% by mass of the total amount of the silica particles (C) and the conductive filler. For example, it is 1% by mass or more, preferably 3% by mass or more, and more preferably 4% by mass or more. Thereby, the mechanical strength of the silicone rubber can be improved. On the other hand, the upper limit of the content of the silica particles (C) in the conductive cured product is, for example, 20% by mass or less with respect to the total amount of 100% by mass of the silica particles (C) and the conductive filler, It is preferably 15% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less. Thereby, it is possible to achieve a balance between the elastic electrical properties and the mechanical strength of the silicone rubber.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are examples of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above can be adopted. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to the description of these Examples.
The raw material components shown in Table 1 are shown below.
(A1-1): First vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane: vinyl group-containing dimethylpolysiloxane synthesized according to Synthesis Scheme 1 below (structure represented by formula (1-1) above)
(A1-2): Second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane: vinyl group-containing dimethylpolysiloxane synthesized according to Synthesis Scheme 2 below (R ¹ and R in the structure represented by the above formula (1-1) ² is a vinyl group)

(Organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B))
(B-1): Organohydrogenpolysiloxane: “TC-25D” manufactured by Momentive

(Silica particles (C))
(C): Silica fine particles (particle diameter 7 nm, specific surface area 300 m ² /g), manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd., "AEROSIL 300"

(Silane coupling agent (D))
(D-1): Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDZ), manufactured by Gelest, "HEXAMETHYLDISILAZANE (SIH6110.1)"
(D-2) Divinyltetramethyldisilazane, manufactured by Gelest, "1,3-DIVINYLTETRAMETHYLDISILAZANE (SID4612.0)"

(Platinum or platinum compound (E))
(E-1): Platinum compound (manufactured by Momentive, trade name “TC-25A”)

(Water (F))
(F): pure water

(Metal powder (G))
(G1): Silver powder, trade name “TC-101” manufactured by Tokuriki Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., median diameter d ₅₀ : 8.0 μm, aspect ratio 16.4, average length 4.6 μm

(Synthesis of vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A))
[Synthesis Scheme 1: Synthesis of First Vinyl Group-Containing Linear Organopolysiloxane (A1-1)]
A first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) was synthesized according to the following formula (5).
That is, 74.7 g (252 mmol) of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and 0.1 g of potassium siliconate were placed in a 300 mL separable flask having a cooling tube and a stirring blade, which was replaced with Ar gas, and the temperature was raised to 120° C. for 30 minutes. Stirred. At this time, an increase in viscosity was confirmed.
After that, the temperature was raised to 155° C. and stirring was continued for 3 hours. After 3 hours, 0.1 g (0.6 mmol) of 1,3-divinyltetramethyldisiloxane was added, and the mixture was further stirred at 155° C. for 4 hours.
Furthermore, after 4 hours, it was diluted with 250 mL of toluene and then washed with water three times. The washed organic layer was washed several times with 1.5 L of methanol for reprecipitation purification to separate the oligomer and polymer. The obtained polymer was dried under reduced pressure at 60° C. overnight to obtain the first vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane (A1-1) (Mn=2.2×10 ⁵ , Mw=4.8× 10 ⁵ ). Also, the vinyl group content calculated by H-NMR spectrum measurement was 0.04 mol %.

[Synthesis Scheme 2: Synthesis of Second Vinyl Group-Containing Linear Organopolysiloxane (A1-2)]
In the above synthesis step (A1-1), in addition to 74.7 g (252 mmol) of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, 0.5 g of 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl 2,4,6,8-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane was added. A second vinyl group-containing linear organopolysiloxane ( A1-2) was synthesized (Mn=2.3×10 ⁵ , Mw=5.0×10 ⁵ ). Also, the vinyl group content calculated by H-NMR spectrum measurement was 0.93 mol %.

(Preparation of silicone rubber-based curable composition)
A silicone rubber-based curable composition of Sample 1 was prepared according to the following procedure.
First, a mixture of 90% vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A), silane coupling agent (D) and water (F) is pre-kneaded in the proportions shown in Table 1 below, and then silica particles ( C) was added and further kneaded to obtain a kneaded product (silicone rubber compound).
Here, the kneading after the addition of the silica particles (C) includes a first step of kneading for 1 hour under a nitrogen atmosphere at 60 to 90° C. for the coupling reaction, and removal of the by-product (ammonia). For this purpose, a second step of kneading for 2 hours under a reduced pressure atmosphere at 160 to 180 ° C. is performed, followed by cooling, and the remaining 10% of the vinyl group-containing organopolysiloxane (A) is added twice. Add in portions and knead for 20 minutes.
Subsequently, organohydrogenpolysiloxane (B), platinum or platinum compound (E) was added to 100 parts by weight of the resulting kneaded product (silicone rubber compound) at the ratio shown in Table 2 below, and kneaded with a roll. to obtain a silicone rubber-based curable composition.

(Preparation of conductive pastes 1 to 3)
The resulting 15.3 parts by weight of the silicone rubber curable composition of Sample 1 was immersed in 34.8 parts by weight of decane (solvent) and then stirred with a rotation/revolution mixer to obtain 65.2 parts by weight. After adding the metal powder (G1) of No., the conductive paste 1 having a total content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition and the metal powder (G1) of 69.8% by weight is obtained by further kneading with a rotation/revolution mixer. got

The above conductive paste and 1 Conductive paste 2 having a total content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition and the metal powder (G1) of 74.4% by weight was obtained in the same manner as in the preparation of .

30.6 parts by weight of the silicone rubber-based curable composition of sample 1, 28.1 parts by weight of decane (solvent) and 130.5 parts by weight of metal powder (G1) were used, but the above conductive paste and 1 were mixed. Conductive paste 3 was obtained in the same manner as in the adjustment, with a total content of the silicone rubber-based curable composition and metal powder (G1) of 85.1% by weight.

(Preparation of flexible sheet electrode)
A 7 cm × 7 cm × 0.4 mmt flexible base material (polyester knitted fabric, basis weight 130 g/m ² ) was placed on the flat surface of the SUS substrate, followed by one 5 cm × 5 cm opening with a thickness of 125 µm. A mask (made of polyethylene terephthalate) was placed on the surface of the flexible substrate.
Subsequently, the above conductive paste is applied to the openings of the mask, and squeegee printing is performed using a glass plate in a vertical printing direction perpendicular to the grain of the fiber based on the printing conditions shown in Table 2. rice field.
Subsequently, the mask is removed and the printed conductive paste 1 is dried at 140° C. for 20 minutes and cured at 180° C. for 2 hours to form a flexible sheet electrode comprising a conductive elastomer layer provided on a flexible substrate. was made.

In Table 2, the adhesion amount of the conductive elastomer layer was calculated by subtracting the previously measured weight of the flexible substrate from the weight of the flexible sheet electrode.
In addition, the flexible sheet electrode was cut in the stacking direction, one of the cross sections was observed with an electron microscope to obtain an SEM image of an area of 1 mm × 1 mm, and based on the SEM image, it was determined whether the conductive elastomer layer was flexible. The thickness (T1) of the impregnated layer impregnated inside the base material, the thickness (T2) of the lamination in which the flexible base material is not impregnated with the conductive elastomer layer, and the thickness (T3) of the flexible base material asked.
Specifically, a cross-sectional SEM image A of only the flexible substrate was obtained in a region where no conductive elastomer layer was formed, and the substrate thickness (T3) was measured from the SEM image A.
A cross-sectional SEM image B of the flexible sheet electrode is obtained in the region where the conductive elastomer layer is formed, the total thickness (X) of the flexible sheet electrode is measured from the SEM image B, and the total thickness (X) is used to determine the base material. The laminate thickness (T2) was calculated by subtracting the thickness (T3).
From the cross-sectional SEM image B of the flexible sheet electrode, the length from the boundary impregnated with the conductive paste to the boundary between the substrate and the lamination was measured as the impregnation thickness (T1).

Also, an SEM image of a 1 mm×1 mm area on the surface of the conductive elastomer layer was confirmed.
As a result, in Examples 1 to 5, the conductive elastomer layer in the above regions covered the entire surface of the flexible substrate, and the surface was smoother than the surface structure of the flexible substrate. It was found to be composed of planes.
On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the conductive elastomer layer in the above region has a portion attached so as to follow the surface structure of the underlying flexible substrate, and does not form a single surface as a whole. I found out.

The following items were evaluated for the obtained flexible sheet electrodes. Table 2 shows the results.

(Surface resistance value)
A printed portion of the obtained flexible sheet electrode was cut into a size of 5 cm×5 cm to prepare a sample.
Using the sample, in a 25 ° C. environment, in the state of unstretched, or in the state of stretching 20% in the diagonal direction of the square electrode, the surface resistance on the diagonal of the square flexible sheet electrode value (Ω) was measured.

(wash resistance)
The obtained flexible sheet electrode was subjected to the following washing resistance test.
1. The flexible sheet electrode was stretched and stretched 50% and 300 times in each of the vertical and horizontal directions.
2. A neutral detergent and water were placed in a beaker, the flexible sheet electrode treated in 1 was immersed, and the mixture was stirred for 24 hours.
3. Water was placed in a beaker, the flexible sheet electrode treated in 2 was immersed, stirred for 10 minutes, and the detergent was rinsed off.
4. Dry in 90°C oven for 30 minutes.
The above steps 1-4 were repeated 10 times.
In each example, when 20% elongation was repeated 100 times and when 50% elongation was repeated 100 times, it was confirmed that the resistance value fluctuation before and after the washing resistance test was smaller than in the comparative example.
Moreover, in each example, it was confirmed that the conductive elastomer layer maintained its initial state without cracking or peeling from the flexible substrate. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, cracks in the conductive elastomer layer and separation from the flexible substrate were confirmed.
Therefore, the washing resistance of the flexible sheet electrodes of Examples 1 to 5 was evaluated as good (◯), and that of Comparative Example 1 was evaluated as poor (×). Table 2 shows the results.

(Biopotential measurement)
In the flexible sheet electrode obtained in each example, an external connection part (a male snap button made of metal) was mounted on the other surface of the flexible base material opposite to the surface on which the conductive elastomer layer was formed. Then, the external connection portion and the conductive elastomer layer were electrically connected to obtain a wearable bioelectrode.
Three wearable bioelectrodes were prepared, and each of the external connection parts of the three wearable bioelectrodes was connected to BITalino (Plux) via an electrode cable with a connector (female snap button) and an ECG sensor (Plux). ) to produce an electrocardiograph (biological sensor).
A flexible sheet electrode provided on one surface of three wearable bioelectrodes was directly attached to the subject's skin, and the subject's electrocardiogram was measured by a three-point lead method (measurement point, reference, and body ground).
From the above results, it was confirmed that the electrocardiographic waveform can be monitored by using the wearable bioelectrode having the flexible sheet electrode of each example.

The flexible sheet electrode of each example showed excellent results in conductivity and washing resistance as compared with Comparative Example 1.
Such flexible sheet electrodes can be suitably used as wearable bioelectrodes.

1 Flexible sheet electrode 10 Flexible base material 11 One surface 12 Main body 13 Other surface 14 Extension part 20 Conductive elastomer layer 21 Impregnation layer 22 One surface 23 Lamination 24 Elastic wiring 26 Connection part 30 External connection part 32 Mounting plate 34 Mounting pin 50 Protective layer 52 Insulating protective layer 60 Insulating elastomer layer 100 Wearable bioelectrode 200 Biosensor 210 Connector 220 Cable 230 Sensor module 240 Computer

Claims (15)

a flexible substrate;
a conductive elastomer layer provided on the flexible substrate;
with
The conductive elastomer layer comprises an impregnated layer impregnated inside the flexible substrate and a laminate not impregnated inside the flexible substrate,
Flexible sheet electrode. A flexible sheet electrode according to claim 1,
A flexible sheet electrode configured so that T1 and T2 satisfy 0.1≦T1/T2≦100, where T1 is the thickness of the impregnated layer and T2 is the thickness of the lamination. The flexible sheet electrode according to claim 1 or 2,
A flexible sheet electrode, wherein T1 and T3 satisfy 0.01≦T1/T3≦1, where T3 is the thickness of the flexible base material. The flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The flexible sheet electrode, wherein the conductive elastomer layer has an adhesion amount of 15 mg/cm ² or more and 300 mg/cm ² or less. The flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A flexible sheet electrode, wherein the conductive elastomer layer comprises conductive fillers and non-conductive fillers. A flexible sheet electrode according to claim 5,
The flexible sheet electrode, wherein the conductive filler contains one or more selected from the group consisting of metal fillers, carbon fillers, metal oxide fillers, and metal plated fillers. A flexible sheet electrode according to claim 5 or 6,
The flexible sheet electrode, wherein the conductive filler contains scaly silver powder. The flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
A flexible sheet electrode, wherein the non-conductive filler comprises silica particles. The flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 5 to 8,
The flexible sheet electrode, wherein the content of the conductive filler is 50% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less in the conductive elastomer layer. The flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A flexible sheet electrode, wherein the conductive elastomer layer contains one or more elastomer materials selected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, urethane rubber, and fluororubber. The flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
In the conductive elastomer layer, R1 is the surface resistance value when not stretched, and R2 is the surface resistance value when stretched by 20% in one of the in-plane directions of the surface, where R1 and R2 are 1.0≤1. A flexible sheet electrode configured to satisfy R2/R1≦7.0. The flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
A flexible sheet electrode, wherein the flexible base material is composed of a fiber base material. A flexible sheet electrode according to claim 12, comprising:
A flexible sheet electrode, wherein said fiber substrate is woven or knitted. A wearable bioelectrode comprising the flexible sheet electrode according to any one of claims 1-13. A biosensor comprising the wearable bioelectrode according to claim 14 .

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