Less than a quarter of the millions of pounds of
electronics thrown away each year is recycled. This
will get worse as 6G devices are upgraded and the
Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand.
Fortunately, Duke University engineers have produced
the world’s first fully recyclable printed electronics
that replace use of chemicals with water in the
fabrication process. A cyclical process has been
developed in which the device is rinsed with water,
dried in relatively low heat and printed on again.
When the amount of surfactant used in the ink is also
tuned down, the researchers show their inks and
processes can create fully functional, fully
recyclable, fully water-based transistors. By
bypassing the need for hazardous chemicals, industry
could reduce its environmental footprint and human
health risks.
https://pratt.duke.edu/about/news/water-recyclable-
printed-electronics
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