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Electronics Production |

Wood cellulose as eco-friendly electronics manufacturing option

Simon Fraser University Professor Woo Soo Kim, along with a research team from Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, have reached a breakthrough in the development of an eco-friendly, 3D printable solution for producing wireless IoT sensors.

The group’s discovery involves the use of a wood-derived cellulose material in place of traditional plastics and polymeric materials currently used in electronics, which pose significant hazards to the environment upon disposal. The team’s discoveries could have broader implications for more sustainable electronics manufacturing processes. “Our eco-friendly 3D printed cellulose sensors can wirelessly transmit data during their life, and then can be disposed without concern of environmental contamination… If we are able to change the plastics in PCB to cellulose composite materials, recycling of metal components on the board could be collected in a much easier way,” said Kim, a professor in the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering at SFU's Surrey campus. The research is being conducted at PowerTech Labs in Surrey, B.C., which houses several state-of-the-art 3D printers.

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March 15 2024 2:25 pm V22.4.5-2
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