New Biodegradable Computer Chip Could Reduce Waste From Electronics

SPOKANE (Scrap Monster): A collaboration between scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and researchers from the US Department of Agriculture has produced a new computer chip made out of wood that will biodegrade harmlessly, hopefully reducing the quantity of electronic waste (much of it toxic) produced by the disposal of electronics each year.

The findings of the project were published in Nature Communications earlier this week. The United Nations has previously estimated that there is around 41 million tonnes of e-waste created globally each year. Most wireless electronics devices like mobile phones and iPods contain chips using gallium arsenide-based chips, which are almost impossible to reuse, repurpose or recycle and are environmentally toxic.

This research replaces the chips supporting plastic layer with cellulose nanofibril, which is essentially a wood-based material. The new type of chip is expected to be more expensive to produce, but the research team hope that costs will gradually come down and that the biodegradability and the fact that the chip is flexible will be major selling points in the marketplace.

Courtesy: www.circulatenews.org