Disposable electronic devices are a serious problem for the environment.
Under the leadership of Professor Seokeung Choi, researchers at the State University of New York at Binghamton printed a template of wax channels on a single sheet of filter paper. Then it was baked in a kiln, as a result, the wax melted and was embedded in the paper, but only in those places where this wax was baked into the paper. Wax was applied.
The researchers then applied conductive and semi-conductive ink to the paper. They, too, were absorbed only into the desired areas of the paper that had not yet been impregnated with wax, forming contours. Silver-based ink was then applied to the circuits using screen printing and other conductive metal components. At the end of the process, a gel-based electrolyte was applied to the circuits.
As a result, the scientists obtained an inexpensive but functional PCB of an amplifier with resistors, capacitors, and a transistor. It's thin and flexible, "just like paper," they writeIn addition, it burns quickly and completelywhen ignited.
Although silver or other metals can be oxidized by microorganisms to biodegrade, this takes time and is harmful to the environment. Paper electronics are much better, scientists conclude.
Read more:
Catapult sends NASA satellites into the sky
A giant magnetic storm is approaching Earth
Recreate the Sun on Earth: how physicists solved the main problem of thermonuclear fusion