Painted Displays

Fronts and backs of thermochromic samples

Mix thermochromic pigment with medium:

Sew a circuit with steel thread and coat in thermochromic paint

Lay-out control circuitry with copper tape:

Thread steel thread through crimp bead and crimp close to where it will connect with copper tape:

Solder crimp beads to copper tape:

Leah’s example circuit using MOSFET to control high current (for heating) from a microcontroller pin:

Video demonstrating different conductive heater materials with thermochromic paints

A perfect circle

Controlling different shapes

Using an iron as heat source

Heating with strands of steel thread (slow change)

4 Comments so far

Ele Willoughby on March 6th, 2012

Hello,

First, I love what you’re up to.

I also have been experimenting with thermochromic materials. I’ve found I can make a decent block printing ink combining thermochromic powder with block printing medium (for instance, in these: http://www.etsy.com/shop/minouette/search?search_query=thermochromic&search_submit=&search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5199882&shopname=minouette). I’ve been thinking about combining my prints with some simple circuits to heat them to trigger the colour change. I was wondering if you could tell me what sort of signal you input to your various materials?

Thanks in advance!
admin on March 7th, 2012

hello ele,

thanks for your great question. it was a good incentive for me to update this post with detailed information.

also, see the ingredients page on colour-changing paints and pigments:
>> http://web.media.mit.edu/~plusea/?p=734

i really like your thermochromic block prints, especially Schroedinger’s (Disappearing) Cat Linocut!

thanks for sharing!
Ele Willoughby on March 12th, 2012

ps. that first URL should be http://newtextiles.media.mit.edu/2012/?p=535
testwebsite on March 15th, 2013

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