Investigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCB
Printed electronics are gaining momentum as an alternative to etched electronics. Production of printed electronics requires less energy, water and raw materials and its flexible, transparent, stretchable and breathable potential allows for numerous new applications. While still in its infancy, prin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Communications |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad9f0f |
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| _version_ | 1832582409488433152 |
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| author | Marieke van Diemen Jan Brusselaers Corné Rentrop |
| author_facet | Marieke van Diemen Jan Brusselaers Corné Rentrop |
| author_sort | Marieke van Diemen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Printed electronics are gaining momentum as an alternative to etched electronics. Production of printed electronics requires less energy, water and raw materials and its flexible, transparent, stretchable and breathable potential allows for numerous new applications. While still in its infancy, printed electronics have the potential to become a permanent low-cost and efficient substitute for conventional production methods. However, despite promising assets of the printed electronics technology, few quantitative environmental analysis have been performed comparing printed electronics to the conventional printed circuit board (PCB). To fill this gap in the literature, this research evaluates and compares PCB circuitry production to that of a common printing technology; screen printing. A combination of a resource productivity and pollution intensity evaluation and a material input and output analysis is performed. Performance is evaluated by gathering data from existing literature, expert consultancy and own calculations on production data and product weight. Printed electronics were evaluated according to a worst-case scenario and PCB to a best-case scenario in terms of resource consumption. The findings reveal substantial disparities in resource productivity and pollution intensity between printed electronics and PCB. Printed electronics demonstrate superiority across all indicator ratios in comparison to PCB as a consequence of - for example - a zero-water production process, or a printed solution which is 16.14 times lighter in terms of weight. This research thereby contributes to informing the electronics sector about a promising alternative to PCB from the perspective of resource efficiency and pollution intensity. As such, our research results provide a lever for future research investigating the scalability and profitability of the implementation of this technology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dd361fb744eb481fb5dc6c1ba5f19109 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2515-7620 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-dd361fb744eb481fb5dc6c1ba5f191092025-01-29T22:12:32ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Communications2515-76202025-01-017101503510.1088/2515-7620/ad9f0fInvestigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCBMarieke van Diemen0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8085-4877Jan Brusselaers1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2142-6695Corné Rentrop2Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Institute for Environmental Studies, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the NetherlandsVrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Institute for Environmental Studies, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the NetherlandsTNO at Holst Centre, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, the NetherlandsPrinted electronics are gaining momentum as an alternative to etched electronics. Production of printed electronics requires less energy, water and raw materials and its flexible, transparent, stretchable and breathable potential allows for numerous new applications. While still in its infancy, printed electronics have the potential to become a permanent low-cost and efficient substitute for conventional production methods. However, despite promising assets of the printed electronics technology, few quantitative environmental analysis have been performed comparing printed electronics to the conventional printed circuit board (PCB). To fill this gap in the literature, this research evaluates and compares PCB circuitry production to that of a common printing technology; screen printing. A combination of a resource productivity and pollution intensity evaluation and a material input and output analysis is performed. Performance is evaluated by gathering data from existing literature, expert consultancy and own calculations on production data and product weight. Printed electronics were evaluated according to a worst-case scenario and PCB to a best-case scenario in terms of resource consumption. The findings reveal substantial disparities in resource productivity and pollution intensity between printed electronics and PCB. Printed electronics demonstrate superiority across all indicator ratios in comparison to PCB as a consequence of - for example - a zero-water production process, or a printed solution which is 16.14 times lighter in terms of weight. This research thereby contributes to informing the electronics sector about a promising alternative to PCB from the perspective of resource efficiency and pollution intensity. As such, our research results provide a lever for future research investigating the scalability and profitability of the implementation of this technology.https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad9f0fmaterial input output analysisflexible electronicssustainable electronicsresource productivitypollution intensitygreen electronics |
| spellingShingle | Marieke van Diemen Jan Brusselaers Corné Rentrop Investigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCB Environmental Research Communications material input output analysis flexible electronics sustainable electronics resource productivity pollution intensity green electronics |
| title | Investigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCB |
| title_full | Investigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCB |
| title_fullStr | Investigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCB |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCB |
| title_short | Investigating resource productivity: the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to PCB |
| title_sort | investigating resource productivity the ecological potential of printed electronics as alternative to pcb |
| topic | material input output analysis flexible electronics sustainable electronics resource productivity pollution intensity green electronics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad9f0f |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariekevandiemen investigatingresourceproductivitytheecologicalpotentialofprintedelectronicsasalternativetopcb AT janbrusselaers investigatingresourceproductivitytheecologicalpotentialofprintedelectronicsasalternativetopcb AT cornerentrop investigatingresourceproductivitytheecologicalpotentialofprintedelectronicsasalternativetopcb |