A sample of the new circuit board material (Credit: Newatlas.com)
The board itself is composed of “unzippable polymeric layers.” While these layers are able to withstand prolonged thermal cycling and damp heat stressing, they separate from one another when exposed to hot water. The conventional components mounted on the boards – such as resistors, capacitors and integrated circuits – can then simply be scraped off, fully intact and ready for reuse. Additionally, the material can be used not only for flat, rigid boards, but also for flexible electronics and three-dimensional structures.
In lab tests, it was found that 90 percent of the original circuit board components could be salvaged. By contrast, according to NPL, just two percent of the material in existing circuit boards can be re-used.
National Physical Laboratory
