Are biodegradable electronics a thing? There is who thinks to save data for millions of years, who instead want to get rid of them as soon as possible.
To be precise, they’re hi-tech components very durable and completely biodegradable electronics. The research conducted by the American University of Illinois and published in “Science” aims to solve the problem of disposing of electronic devices. The raw material of the project is the silk. This ancient material, completely revised in a technological key and made very strong, would be to cover the traditional electronics devices, however, composed of silicon and magnesium. The researchers would be able to precisely control the structure of the casing of silk that covers them so calculating the expiration date of the components.
What Are Biodegradable Electronics and Are They a Possibility?
This new mix also promises great performance, preserving the environment. The advantages of “transient electronics”, so named by the researchers, would be many, in addition to the disposal of many components, we can think to the mobile phones, it could have important applications in the biomedical field, would be feasible for example prosthesis perfectly absorbed by the body without having to be surgically removed. The life may vary from a few minutes to several years and they simply dissolve in water or organic liquids.
In the market there are already “hard drive destoyer” such as the secure deletion of data on electronic devices. HD-Eraser for example, is a device that uses the technique of demagnetization to ensure the protection of privacy with regard to private, public or financial institutions. Once this is done, it would be best to dispose of the equipment.
Thinking about the environment and the huge amount of electronic waste abandoned in landfills for years, the benefits that electronic biodegradable could make would be very important: products may dissolve themselves with no damage, once they have completed their work.