Circuit board dissolves in water, freeing reusable components
Many modern gadgets seem like they were designed to be disposable, forcing consumers to buy a new model instead of repairing their old one. This leads to an enormous amount of waste, and it's difficult to find places that recycle the tech we no longer need.
It's no secret that electronic components aren't biodegradable, although some engineers have attempted to develop more eco-friendly versions over the years.
A team of researchers at the UK's National Physical Laboratory took on the challenge and wound up creating a circuit board that dissolves in hot water. The device melts away after being submerged, leaving 90 percent of its resistors and capacitors available for reuse. Compared to traditional circuit board recycling, which salvages only two percent of the electronic components, this is a major breakthrough in reducing e-waste.
Source: Inhabitat UK,
It's no secret that electronic components aren't biodegradable, although some engineers have attempted to develop more eco-friendly versions over the years.
A team of researchers at the UK's National Physical Laboratory took on the challenge and wound up creating a circuit board that dissolves in hot water. The device melts away after being submerged, leaving 90 percent of its resistors and capacitors available for reuse. Compared to traditional circuit board recycling, which salvages only two percent of the electronic components, this is a major breakthrough in reducing e-waste.
Source: Inhabitat UK,
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