IEC 62899-201-2:2021

Overview

IEC 62899-201-2:2021 - Printed electronics - Part 201-2: Materials - Substrates - Measurement methods for properties of stretchable substrates - defines standardized test methods to characterize stretchable substrates used in printed electronics. The standard provides measurement procedures (not performance requirements) to pre‑qualify substrates and, when applicable, cover‑lay films made of the same materials. It targets substrates used in high‑performance wiring subjected to repeated bending such as fabric‑integrated wearables and skin‑patchable devices.

Key topics

• Scope and purpose
  • Measurement methods for stretchable substrates to evaluate printed conductive, semiconducting and insulating layers.
  • Applies to monolithic elastic polymer films/sheets, fabrics (woven, knitted, nonwoven), composite structures and resin‑coated fabrics.
• Measured properties
  • Dimensions: width and length (ISO 22198).
  • Thickness: measured per ISO 5084.
  • Mass per unit area (basis weight): for fabrics (ISO 3801).
  • Elongation at break / tensile properties: strip method for fabrics (ISO 13934-1); coated fabrics and polymer films per IEC 62899-201.
  • Electrical properties: volume resistance, surface resistance (referencing IEC 62631-3-1 and IEC 62631-3-2) and electric strength (IEC 60243-1).
• Specimen preparation
  • Conditioning and preparation are aligned with IEC 62899-201; specimens should be tension‑free during electrical and dimensional tests (except tensile tests).
• Logistics
  • Guidance on storage, packing, marking and shipment of substrate materials is included.

Applications and users

• Who uses this standard
  • Printed electronics manufacturers and process engineers validating substrate compatibility for printed conductors and insulators.
  • Material suppliers specifying stretchable films, fabrics or composite substrates.
  • Product designers of wearables, e‑textiles, skin‑patch sensors and other flexible/stretchable devices requiring reliable printed wiring.
  • Test laboratories and quality assurance teams performing pre‑qualification and comparative testing.
• Practical value
  • Enables consistent, reproducible characterization of stretchable substrates to support material selection, process development and reliability assessment for stretchable printed electronic layers.

Related standards

• IEC 62899-201 (Materials - Substrates)
• IEC 60243-1 (Electric strength)
• IEC 62631-3-1 / IEC 62631-3-2 (Volume/surface resistance)
• ISO 22198, ISO 5084, ISO 3801, ISO 13934-1 (dimensional and textile tests)

By following IEC 62899-201-2:2021, organizations can standardize testing of stretchable substrate properties, improving interoperability, reliability and comparability across printed electronics applications.