Used, starch-based juice bottles dissolve in water. If only recycling printed circuit boards (PCBs) from plastic and glass fibre were as easy.
Enter a US-based research team which has manufactured a PCB prototype using cutting-edge sustainable polymers known as vitrimers.
When exposed to mild heat, their molecular compounds loosen so that tears or holes can be repaired. The team immersed its prototype in a heated organic solvent.
The polymers turned into a gel, releasing embedded materials such as glass fibres, gold and copper undamaged. 98% of the vitrimer and 91% of the organic solvent are also reusable.
The method would benefit developing countries in particular, where the world’s electronic waste is often burned – releasing poisonous gases.
Mushrooms make sense too.Â
