Column: Going Green
Top five green materials for electronics
By Jordan Flagel, technical author, Matmatch W
hen going “green” with electronic products, the goal is to lessen the environmental impact and minimise energy use – which could mean less energy used whilst
mining materials and manufacturing devices, or it could mean that lifetime usage of the products made from these materials requires less energy. E-waste is a growing problem, with its dangers
stemming from elements such as lead, cadmium, copper, beryllium, barium and chromium entering the ecosystem through improperly-discarded electronics. Many of these elements are used in circuit boards and electrical parts such as computer chips, touchscreens and wiring. Whilst it may be cheaper to use materials considered
more toxic, a growing number of electronics producers are investing in green materials.
Green materials Besides being better for the planet, green materials often perform just as well as their cheaper, non-green alternatives. If quality is the same, any company would be smart to market the green materials used in its products. Consumers are becoming more conscious about how their purchases affect the environment and showing the environmental benefits of green materials will often lead to higher sales. Green materials come in many forms: from
degradable circuit boards and organic electronics to metals that are infinitely recyclable and reusable. Organic and inorganic materials can both be considered green, depending on the type of material and how and where it is used. The preferred materials used for green electronics are aluminium, borosilicate glass, iron alloy, graphene and biomaterials.
Aluminum use at a large scale
16 February 2021
www.electronicsworld.com
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