With the number of mobile devices growing faster than the global population, a serious problem must be addressed. What do we do when all consumer electronics and other products are no longer in use? It is clear that stacking devices at landfills have serious environmental and economic implications. Researchers at the university of Illinois are working to solve this problem by developing soluble printed circuit boards that will essentially dissolve over time. The technology is primarily intended to help the medical industry, but it will also do wonders for consumer electronics. There is still a lot to develop and formulate without making sure that the components are the same, if not better, than existing ones.
Potential applications of soluble printed circuit boards
For soluble printed circuit boards to be successful in the market and to be adopted globally, product designers and engineers in various industries must find ways to integrate the technology into everyday applications. Potential USES of the new technology in the coming years include:
Medicine – you can make brain monitors and other medical devices that need to be implanted that don’t need to be removed once that’s done.
Cell phones – cell phones and other portable electronics end up in landfills or desktop drawers and stop using them. Instead, they are now able to recycle safely and responsibly.
Mechanical – pcb-dependent machines can easily replace parts as needed without having to start from scratch, saving time and money.