Biobased dEgradable flAme reTardant pRInted eCo-elEctronics - BEATRICE

Project summary

The rapid growth of short-lived commercial electronic products causes increasing amounts of electronic waste. The fossil-based nature and persistence of electronic circuit boards contribute to environmental problems, e.g. in the case of waste pollution. The non-recyclable thermosets used so far cause a high carbon footprint and costs for the separation of metals and organic components. Our goal is to develop demonstrators of electronic assemblies using sustainable raw materials as carrier substrates on an engineering scale to enable recycling through a biodegradation process of the composite material as a potential key for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly strategic metal recycling. Potential applications include widely used commercial electronic products with printed circuit boards, particularly short-life electronics. Impact and potential benefits are reduced environmental impact, improved reuse of strategic metals and reduced European dependence on external sources.