Material for use with a capacitive touch screen

1 . An electrically-conductive modified material adapted for interacting with a touch screen device, the modified material comprising:

a leather material, wherein the leather material is a colloid material comprising a plurality of fibers dispersed therewithin;

an electrically conductive agent; and

a binder material;

wherein at least a portion of the leather material is impregnated with the electrically conductive agent and the binder at a sufficient concentration to provide electrical conductivity in the modified material;

wherein the modified material has a volume resistivity of less than about 1.0×10 6 ohm-cm;

wherein the modified material, when formed into an object for interacting with the touch screen device, has an effective capacitance of greater than 10.0 pico-Farads (pF); and

wherein the electrical conductivity and the capacitance of the modified material make the modified material capable of capacitively coupling to the touch screen device.

2 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the modified material comprises at least about 30% electrically conductive agent.

3 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive agent is selected from the group consisting of: carbon black, carbon nanotubes, graphite, PEDOT, silver, copper, gold, nickel, aluminum, indium, zinc, tin, and combinations thereof.

4 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive agent is loaded onto the plurality of fibers located within the leather material through ionic bonding.

5 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers located within the leather material are collagen fibers.

6 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of fibers in the leather material comprise a fiber chain.

7 . The modified material of claim 6 , wherein the fiber chain has a length of at least 100 nanometers.

8 . The modified material of claim 7 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of fibers comprising the fiber chain overlap in such a manner that the modified material can withstand tensile, compressive, or shear strains without suffering significant loss of the electrical conductivity in the modified material.

9 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive agent is substantially homogenously dispersed or suspended within the binder material.

10 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive agent is cured into the modified material.

11 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the modified material retains a volume resistivity of less than about 1.0×10 5 ohm-cm after the modified material is in its finished form.

12 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the modified material further comprises a base coat, a color coat, a midcoat, and/or a finishing coat.

13 . The modified material of claim 1 , wherein the modified material further comprises aqueous polyether polyurethanes, solvent-borne polyether/polyester, aqueous acrylics, styrene butadiene rubber, nitrocellulose lacquers and water emulsions, cellulose acetate butyrate lacquers and water emulsions, shellac, epoxy, polyvinyl chloride, oils, waxes, silicones, and/or combinations thereof.

14 . A method for modifying a leather material for interacting with a touch screen device, the method comprising:

providing a leather material, wherein the leather material is a colloid material comprising a plurality of fibers dispersed therewithin

toggling the leather material to a percentage of its maximum stretch;

loading an electrically conductive agent onto the plurality of fibers located within the leather material;

binding the electrically conductive agent to the plurality of fibers located within the leather material with a binder material; and

curing the leather material, the electrically conductive agent, and the binder material together;

wherein the modified material has a volume resistivity of less than about 1.0×10 6 ohm-cm;

wherein the modified material, when formed into an object for interacting with the touch screen device, has an effective capacitance of greater than 10.0 pico-Farads (pF); and

wherein the electrical conductivity and the capacitance of the modified material make the modified material capable of capacitively coupling to the touch screen device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrically conductive agent has a positive charge or is non-ionic.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrically conductive agent is selected from the group consisting of: carbon black, carbon nanotubes, graphite, PEDOT, silver, copper, gold, nickel, aluminum, indium, zinc, tin, and combinations thereof.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of fibers located within the leather material have a negative charge.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein at least some of the plurality of fibers disposed within the leather material comprise a fiber chain.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the fiber chain has a length of at least 100 nanometers.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least some of the plurality of fibers comprising the fiber chain overlap in such a manner that the modified material can withstand tensile, compressive, or shear strains without suffering significant loss of the electrical conductivity in the modified material.

21 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising transporting the electrically conductive agent to the plurality of fibers located within the leather material in a mixture of water and fat.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the fat has a positive charge.

23 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising bonding the electrically conductive agent to the plurality of fibers through ionic bonding.

24 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising tumbling the modified material.

25 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the modified material retains a volume resistivity of less than about 1.0×10 5 ohm-cm after the modified material is in its finished form.