Oct 24, 2025 06:13 PM
New ‘liquid metal’ composite material enables recyclable, flexible and reconfigurable electronics
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1103027
INTRO: Electronic waste is piling up around the world at a rate that far outpaces recycling efforts, partly because it’s so costly and time-consuming to recover useful materials from discarded gadgets. When processed improperly, spent electronics can expose workers and the environment to lead, mercury and other toxic chemicals. Without systemic changes, our global appetite for electronics could produce an annual 60 million tons of electronic waste by 2030.
This conundrum inspired a team at the University of Washington to create an easily recyclable material that could one day replace many traditional circuit boards, the foundation of most electronics. The new material is flexible, self-healing and can be made conductive without additional components.
This suite of features could help produce a more sustainable generation of wearable electronics, soft robotics and more.
“We created a lot of functionality within one material,” said senior author Mohammad Malakooti, a UW assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “Our goal is to build a widely useful platform for flexible, reusable devices.”
The new research was published Sept. 12 in Advanced Functional Materials.
Conventional circuit boards pass electrical signals through conductive metal traces, which are bonded to a rigid board commonly made of fiberglass and resin. In contrast, the new material is a soft and stretchable composite made from a recyclable polymer infused with microscopic droplets of a liquid metal alloy based on gallium. A circuit can be created on this composite by lightly scoring a pattern into its surface, which connects adjacent embedded droplets and allows electricity to flow. The rest of the material remains electrically insulating... (NORE - details, no ads)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1103027
INTRO: Electronic waste is piling up around the world at a rate that far outpaces recycling efforts, partly because it’s so costly and time-consuming to recover useful materials from discarded gadgets. When processed improperly, spent electronics can expose workers and the environment to lead, mercury and other toxic chemicals. Without systemic changes, our global appetite for electronics could produce an annual 60 million tons of electronic waste by 2030.
This conundrum inspired a team at the University of Washington to create an easily recyclable material that could one day replace many traditional circuit boards, the foundation of most electronics. The new material is flexible, self-healing and can be made conductive without additional components.
This suite of features could help produce a more sustainable generation of wearable electronics, soft robotics and more.
“We created a lot of functionality within one material,” said senior author Mohammad Malakooti, a UW assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “Our goal is to build a widely useful platform for flexible, reusable devices.”
The new research was published Sept. 12 in Advanced Functional Materials.
Conventional circuit boards pass electrical signals through conductive metal traces, which are bonded to a rigid board commonly made of fiberglass and resin. In contrast, the new material is a soft and stretchable composite made from a recyclable polymer infused with microscopic droplets of a liquid metal alloy based on gallium. A circuit can be created on this composite by lightly scoring a pattern into its surface, which connects adjacent embedded droplets and allows electricity to flow. The rest of the material remains electrically insulating... (NORE - details, no ads)
