Tribological Reliability of Polymer Composites for Skin-Interfaced Bioelectronics: Wear-to-Failure Pathways and Testing Framework
5 affiliations
- 1Institute of Bioengineering, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
- 2Institute of Hydrogen Technologies, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
- 3Institute of Water Desalination Technologies, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
- 4Institute of Waste Management and Recycling Technologies, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
- 5Institute of Water Management and Treatment Technologies, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Skin-interfaced bioelectronics rely on soft polymer composites to provide electrical functionality while maintaining the compliance and deformability needed for prolonged contact with the human body. Mechanical durability is commonly demonstrated through stretchability, cyclic deformation and retention of electrical performance under strain, but these measures do not capture contact-induced damage during actual wear. Skin movement, clothing contact and repeated use introduce friction, sliding and abrasion that can produce surface wear, cracking, delamination, conductive-network disruption and instability at the skin-device interface. This review considers tribological reliability as a distinct dimension of wearable durability, linking polymer-composite architecture and interfacial design to the development of wear and its progression into electrical degradation and loss of device function. Evidence across electrophysiological, pressure, strain and biochemical devices shows that material survival, electrical continuity and functional performance do not necessarily deteriorate together, making cycle count or retained conductivity alone insufficient indicators of durability. We propose an application-specific framework that evaluates representative wear conditions together with controlled contact and environmental parameters, morphological damage, electrical stability and preservation of sensing function. Future claims of tribological reliability should therefore be based on whether the required device function is retained under a representative and sufficiently defined wear exposure.
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BibTeX
@article{alshabouna2026tribological,
title = {{Tribological Reliability of Polymer Composites for Skin-Interfaced Bioelectronics: Wear-to-Failure Pathways and Testing Framework}},
author = {Fahad Alshabouna and Majed Majrashi and Aliyah Algethami and Meshal Aljohani and Hamad Alromaih and Nasser Alqahtani and Obaid A. Alharbi},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18192404},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666569},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Tribological Reliability of Polymer Composites for Skin-Interfaced Bioelectronics: Wear-to-Failure Pathways and Testing Framework
AU - Fahad Alshabouna
AU - Majed Majrashi
AU - Aliyah Algethami
AU - Meshal Aljohani
AU - Hamad Alromaih
AU - Nasser Alqahtani
AU - Obaid A. Alharbi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18192404
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666569
AB - Skin-interfaced bioelectronics rely on soft polymer composites to provide electrical functionality while maintaining the compliance and deformability needed for prolonged contact with the human body. Mechanical durability is commonly demonstrated through stretchability, cyclic deformation and retention of electrical performance under strain, but these measures do not capture contact-induced damage during actual wear. Skin movement, clothing contact and repeated use introduce friction, sliding and abrasion that can produce surface wear, cracking, delamination, conductive-network disruption and instability at the skin-device interface. This review considers tribological reliability as a distinct dimension of wearable durability, linking polymer-composite architecture and interfacial design to the development of wear and its progression into electrical degradation and loss of device function. Evidence across electrophysiological, pressure, strain and biochemical devices shows that material survival, electrical continuity and functional performance do not necessarily deteriorate together, making cycle count or retained conductivity alone insufficient indicators of durability. We propose an application-specific framework that evaluates representative wear conditions together with controlled contact and environmental parameters, morphological damage, electrical stability and preservation of sensing function. Future claims of tribological reliability should therefore be based on whether the required device function is retained under a representative and sufficiently defined wear exposure.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -