Page 10
www.us-tech.com
TechWaTch Graphene and Other Carbon
Nanomaterials Can Replace Scarce Metals S
By Johanna Wilde, Chalmers University
carce metals, including tin, sil- ver, tungsten, and indium, are complicated to extract, difficult
to recycle and considered to be rare. So rare, in fact, that several of them have become “conflict minerals,” which can promote conflicts and op- pression, especially in the lesser-de- veloped parts of the world. Research done at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden now shows that there are potential technology- based solutions that can replace many of these metals with carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene. Rare metals are used often in
computers, mobile phones and in al- most all other electronic equipment. Society is highly dependent on scarce metals and this dependence has many disadvantages. Scarce metals are not only rare
but are difficult to extract since the metals must be highly concentrated to be useful. This difficulty ensures that the metals continue to be highly sought after. Their extraction is a breeding ground for trouble, such as in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo where these metals fund armed conflicts. They are also difficult to recycle
profitably as they are often only pres- ent in small quantities in various electronic components.
Combating Scarcity Rickard Arvidsson and Björn
Sandén, environmental systems ana- lysts at Chalmers University of Tech- nology, have now examined an alter- native solution: substituting carbon nanomaterials for the scarce metals. These substances — with the best- known being graphene — consist solely or mainly of carbon and are strong materials with good conduc- tivity. Several scarce metals have similar properties. The metals are used, for example, in cables, thin screens, flame-retardants, corrosion protection, and capacitors. Arvidsson and Sandén have in-
vestigated whether the carbon nano- materials graphene, fullerenes and carbon nanotubes have the potential to replace 14 scarce metals in their main areas of application. They
Strong Foundation
Janome robots provide a solid foundation for your dispensing
automation.These solutions are designed in support of your dispensing needs, utilizing all that we have learned over the last 20+ years. Choose from 3-axis and 4-axis models with the ability to add a 5th & 6th axis.
Supports syringe, jetting, and 2-part meter/mix applications. Finally, you can purchase it all from a name you trust.
found potential technology-based so- lutions to replace the metals with carbon nanomaterials for all applica- tions, except for gold in jewelry. The
cently published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. Arvidsson and Sandén stress that there are signifi- cant potential benefits from reducing
October, 2017
Many scarce metals can be replaced with carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene (image credit: Jonas Sandwall).
metals which they are closest to be- ing able to substitute for are indium, gallium, beryllium, and silver. “New technology development
has allowed us to make greater use of the common element carbon,” says Sandén. “Today there are many new carbon nanomaterials with similar properties to metals. It’s a welcome new track, and it’s important to in- vest in both the recycling and substi- tution of scarce metals from now on.” The Chalmers researchers have
JR3000 Series with Vision Adjustment Package Full Featured Dispensing System
• Made For Dispensing • Integrated Fill Patterns • Program with PC
Made For Your Dispensing Needs
studied the main applications of 14 different metals, and by reviewing patents and scientific literature, have investigated the potential for replacing them with carbon nanoma- terials. The results provide a unique overview of research and technology development in the field. According to Arvidsson and
JC-3 Cartesian Series Supports In-line Applications
Sandén, the summary shows that a shift away from the use of scarce metals to carbon nanomaterials is al- ready taking place. “There are potential solutions
Optional Needle Adjuster
Automatically adjusts the program after the needle tip is changed
• 1K Syringe • Jetting • Spraying • 2K Mixing • UV Curing
Work envelopes ranging from 200mm to 2000mm
Bring your dispensing challenges to our booth for review and see how Janome’s products can support your project.
Collect our contact information
for replacing 13 out of the 14 metals by carbon nanomaterials in their most common applications. The tech- nology development is at different stages for different metals and appli- cations, but in some cases, such as indium and gallium, the results are very promising,” Arvidsson says.
Enviromentally Sound “This offers hope,” says Sandén.
JR-V Series Basic Dispensing Medical | Aerospace | Defense | Automotive | Mobile Devices
Janome Industrial Equipment USA, Inc. 892 Cambridge Drive Elk Grove, IL. 60007 Phone: 847-357-8870 |Fax: 847-357-8890
www.janome-ie.com sales@janome-ie.com
See at productronica, Hall A5 Booth 546 and The ASSEMBLY Show, Booth 913
“In the debate on resource con- straints, circular economy and soci- ety’s handling of materials, the focus has long been on recycling and reuse. Substitution is a potential alterna- tive that has not been explored to the same extent, and as the resource is- sues become more pressing, we now have more tools to work with.” The research findings were re-
the use of scarce metals, and they hope to be able to strengthen the case for more research and development in the field. “Imagine being able to replace
scarce metals with carbon,” Sandén says. “Extracting the carbon from bio- mass would create a natural cycle.” “Since carbon is such a common
and readily-available material, it would also be possible to reduce the conflicts and geopolitical problems associated with these metals,” Arvidsson says. At the same time, they point out
that more research is needed in the field in order to deal with any new problems that may arise if the scarce metals are replaced. “Carbon nanomaterials are only
a relatively recent discovery, and so far knowledge is limited about their environmental impact from a life-cy- cle perspective. Generally there seems to be a potential for a low envi- ronmental impact,” Arvidsson says. Replacing these scarce metals
with carbon-based materials offers an opportunity for technology to im- prove political climates around the world. Carbon nanomaterials offer a more environmentally-conscious so- lution to many problems currently solved by some conflict metals. Tech- nology already makes our lives easi- er, taking over many manual or diffi- cult day-to-day tasks. However, re- placing the materials in the devices that we depend on has the potential to completely change the lives of those involved in the conflicts over scarce metals. Contact: Chalmers University of
Technology, Maskingrand 2, 412 58 Gothenburg, Sweden % +46-0-31-772-10-00 E-mail:
johanna.wilde@chalmers.se Web:
www.chalmers.se r
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124
