# Flexible Coated Conductive Textiles as Ohmic Heaters in Car Seats
## 1 Introduction  
Recent decades have seen a variety of research in the area of lowering energy consumption due to environmental concerns [1]. The electrification of the vehicle fleet is regarded as a promising strategy for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, energy demand, air pollution, and dependence on oil, among other cutting-edge techniques to decarbonize urban transport [2]. Heated seats in vehicles are one of the primary electric energy consumers in many parts of the world where winters can be relatively cold and long. As a result, the research and development of novel materials and methods that could be more energy efficient has increased [3]. Electric vehicles (EVs) in the transportation sector have the advantages of negligible harmful emissions, low engine noise, improved propulsion efficiency, and the potential for carbon footprint reduction [4]. As a result, most cars, including those that are less expensive, now come with heated car seats as standard [5]. Engine waste heat and electrical resistances are both employed for heating. The subjective comfort sensation is the key problem concern. This varies from person to person, and management is frequently influenced by passengers' choices. Maintaining the ideal comfort levels for all passengers is a challenge because air is often the medium that transfers heat [6]. Among most potential applications such asweather forecasting, monitoring systems, bio sensors, and electronic sensors [7], the use of conductive fabrics as an ohmic heater in car seas is quite a novel approach. The size conformation, long durability, lightweight property are the key components of conductive textiles which make them an excellent solution in various realizations of platforms for use as ohmic heaters [8]. Resistive heating is the most useful approach adopted in utilizing automobile seats as heaters. A carrier material (a hybrid of textile and foam) is filled with sinusoidal loop-shaped wires between its layers in a seat-heater produced by FOAM-AD. A heating wire is connected to the carriers in a tailored pattern to provide an ideal heating system in the vehicle seat considering the specifications provided by the customer [9]. The wiring pattern is shown in Figure 1.  
The wire might be sewn to the continuous non-woven base before the finished product is trimmed into the appropriate shape for a heating mat using automated manufacturing embroidery machinery. For instance, a thin nonwoven layer could be added to a structure made of a narrow sponge shielded with adhesive, the heating element introduced, and the residual adhesive on the mat covered. Another option is to use an automated series of machines where the glue is sprayed upon a non-woven bottom of a pre-defined structure, followed by the placement of the heating wire in the appropriate shape. The multistage method for producing a single mat, the insufficient endurance of anchoring the heating element to the mat foundation, and the inadequate robustness of certain mats for mechanical stress such as loading or abrasion are, nevertheless, the most frequent problems brought up by manufacturers. Wearable thermal technology that utilizes metal wire heating systems has limiting heating regions, poor elasticity, and oxidative deterioration and delivers inefficient heating. It also has a short lifespan due to wire breakage [9; 10]. Wearable heating systems must be mechanically durable, lightweight, and able to withstand stretching and bending without obstructing the wearer's or the garment's potential to conform to body curvature. The propensity to expand would improve the device's ability to contour to the body. Stretchable devices must undergo a minimal recurring strain of approximately 15-20% to remain flexible and fit [11]. Graphene inks, carbon-black [12], and blends of silver nanoparticle and laser lowered graphene oxide (GO), along with amino functionalized graphite and carbon nanotubes, have all been used to create flexible imprinted textile heaters.