Decomposable Electronics for Sustainable Environment
WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE?In the past 40 years, electronic products have spurred economic growth and improved people’s lives in countless ways. This however has also given rise to a new challenge: electronic waste and its environmental impact. Today, over 30 million personal computers and 100 millions of mobile phones become obsolete annually. Less than 13% of those retired electronics were reused or recycled. Many hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium and brominated flame retardants in circuit boards have been released into environment. The situation will even be worse in the future as the society has a vision to embed electronics such as intelligent RFID in most of our everyday’s objectives. Recycle of such electronics is almost impossible. It becomes necessary to develop sustainable solutions for such electronics.HOW CAN THE PROJECT CONTRIBUTE TO A SOLUTION?
In this research, we develop wood-fiber based paper board for renewable green electronic products. The product is toxics-free, decomposable and bio-compatible thus more environmentally friendly. It can be recycled like recycling glossy papers and thus making our environment sustainable. The research explores innovations encompassing paper-based multi-layered circuit board and interconnections, paper-based electronic components such as sensors and actuators, new circuit printing technologies using inkjet printing and seamless chip integration in paper board. Life cycle assessment of the new technology regarding to life cycle energy usage, relative toxicity of new versus old technologies will also be studied.
WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE RESULTS?
The expected research results will find new solutions and answers for the following questions:
- What’s the requirement for paper characteristics used in such application?
- How to build up and interconnect a multi-layer paper circuit board? What kind of new process and technologies (including materials) are the enables?
- How can silicon chips be integrated in a paper board without introducing any toxic materials?
- What kind of innovative electronics components (sensor, antenna etc) can be made from paper-board?
- What’s the environmental impact of the new technology in terms of energy usage and relative toxicity during whole life cycle? How to model it?
