Washable and Flexible All Carbon Electrothermal Joule Heater for Electric Vehicles

Amid the rapid development of electric vehicles, a flexible and waterproof radiant heater that can withstand repeated bending and washing is highly desirable. Herein, a freestanding, ultra-flexible, and washable joule heater is constructed using a biocompatible poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene) (SIBS) polymer as binder and carbon black (CB) as heating material. By controlling the amount of CB and the thickness of the film, a minimum resistivity, and conductivity of 26 mΩ cm and 7.4 S cm⁻¹, respectively, is achieved. Remarkably, the 28% CB/SIBS film can reach a maximum temperature of 201 °C while maintaining a stable temperature at 130 °C for repeated ON/OFF cycles. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry of post-mortem material analysis shows that a 1 h stability test at 130 °C has no sign of degradation and the films remain extremely stable. The films also show exceptional electrothermal heater performance after carrying out mechanical property tests such as bending (over 30°), repetitive bending (1000 cycles), twisting (two turns), and washing (soaked in distilled water for over 12 h). These outstanding heater performances incorporate extreme chemical stability and mechanical flexibility proposing that the CB/SIBS-based electrothermal elements hold great potential for numerous practical applications, such as heating systems in electric vehicles and wearable electronics.