Electronics often get thrown away after use because recycling them requires extensive work for little payoff. Researchers have now found a way to change the game.
Electronics often get thrown away after use because recycling them requires extensive work for little payoff. Researchers have now found a way to change the game. Between upgrades and breakdowns to cellphones, tablets, laptops, and appliances, so many electronics are getting tossed in the trash that they've taken on a name of their own: e-waste.
According to a 2024 report issued by the United Nations, the amount of e-waste worldwide has almost doubled in the past 12 years, from 34 billion to 62 billion kilograms -- the equivalent of 1.55 million shipping trucks -- and it's estimated to hit 82 billion kilograms by 2030. Just 13.8 billion kilograms -- about 20 percent of the total -- is expected to be recycled, a number projected to remain flat.by two Virginia Tech research teams offers a potential solution to the e-waste problem: a recyclable material that could make electronics easier to break down and reuse.Michael Bartlett, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Josh Worch, assistant professor of chemistry, come from different fields, but together they created a new class of circuit materials. With significant work from their team of postdoctoral and graduate student researchers, including Dong Hae Ho, Meng Jiang, and Ravi Tutika, the new circuits are recyclable, electrically conductive, reconfigurable, and self-healing after damage. Yet they retain the strength and durability of traditional circuit board plastics -- features rarely found together in a single material. The new material starts with a vitrimer, a dynamic polymer that can be reshaped and recycled. This versatile material is combined with droplets of liquid metal that do the work of carrying the electric current, the way rigid metals do in a traditional circuit. This is a fundamentally different approach from other recyclable or flexible electronics. By combining the high-performance, adaptable polymers with electrically conductive liquid metals, the new circuit holds up under a host of challenges. "Our material is unlike conventional electronic composites," said Bartlett."The circuit boards are remarkably resilient and functional. Even under mechanical deformation or damage, they still work."Recycling traditional circuit boards involves several energy-intensive deconstruction steps and still yields large amounts of waste. Billions of dollars of valuable metal components are lost in the process."Traditional circuit boards are made from permanent thermosets that are incredibly difficult to recycle," said Worch."Here, our dynamic composite material can be healed or reshaped if damaged by applying heat, and the electrical performance will not suffer. Modern circuit boards simply cannot do this." The vitrimer circuit boards also can be deconstructed at their end of life using alkaline hydrolysis, enabling recovery of key components such as the liquid metal and LEDs. Fully reusing all components of the conductive composites in a closed-loop process remains a goal for future research. While it may not be possible to curb the amount of electronics that are discarded by the world's consumers, this work represents a key step toward keeping more electronics out of landfills. This research was supported by Virginia Tech through the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science and Bartlett's National Science Foundation Early Faculty Career Development award.Recycling facilities collect glass and mercury from thrown away fluorescent bulbs, but discarded lighting could also supply rare-earth metals for reuse. The 17 metals referred to as rare earths ... Reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose: These are all ways we can live more sustainably. One tricky aspect of recycling, though, is that sometimes the recycling process is chemically intensive, and ... Plastics are ubiquitous, but they're not practical. Less than 10% are recycled, and the other approximately 8 billion tons are creating a pollution crisis. Researchers are determined to change ... Computer scientists have devised a new weapon against video game players who cheat. The researchers developed their approach for detecting cheaters using the popular first-person shooter game ...New Laser Smaller Than a Penny Can Measure Objects at Ultrafast RatesNew Laser Smaller Than a Penny Can Measure Objects at Ultrafast Rates
Technology Consumer Electronics Materials Science Recycling And Waste Hazardous Waste Environmental Science Environmental Issues
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ultra-thin bismuth holds unexpected promise for green electronicsElectronic devices rely on materials whose electrical properties change with temperature, making them less stable in extreme conditions. A discovery that challenges conventional wisdom in physics suggests that bismuth, a metal, could serve as the foundation for highly stable electronic components.
Read more »
Here’s where you can recycle your old electronics in and around Philly this springLower Merion is hosting an “Anything with a Plug' recycling event on June 7 at the township's Public Works Complex at 1300 N. Woodbine Ave.
Read more »
Air-powered soft robots achieve lifelike motion without electronics or AIInspired by nature, soft robots powered by air move autonomously without electronics, mimicking animal-like coordination.
Read more »
Flailing tube man-inspired robot uses no electronicsAndrew Paul is Popular Science's staff writer primarily focused on tech news. Previously, he was a regular contributor to The A.V. Club and Input, and has had recent work featured by Rolling Stone, Fangoria, GQ, Slate, NBC, as well as McSweeney's Internet Tendency. He lives outside Indianapolis.
Read more »
What the Tech: How much have prices risen on electronics due to tariffs?Montgomery, Alabama
Read more »
TSA Bans Popular Electronics in Checked Luggage—Stay InformedSince becoming a writer in 2019, Emily has developed significant experience covering viral pop culture moments and trending news topics in the health and wellness space, while also writing about mental health, relationships, and smarter living.
Read more »