Self-Healing Electronics Could Help Reduce E-Waste

E Waste - All Green Electronics Recycling

With our current technology, it’s not uncommon to throw away an entire device because of a broken part. But what if the part in question fixed itself before you even noticed the problem?

A team of engineers at the University of Illinois developed a system for electronics to restore conductivity to a circuit on their own, before we even notice there’s a problem. In trials, the repair was so immediate that the circuit was only broken for microseconds. In 90 percent of the trials, circuits were restored to 99 percent of their original conductivity.

This technology will prove useful in the case of batteries and other parts where it is cost-prohibitive to find and access the source of an electrical failure.

This concept holds promise. It will keep e-waste out of landfills because self-healing electronics will lessen the amount of electronics sent in for repair and ultimately sent to landfills.

What do you think about this idea?

You can read more about self-healing electronics here.

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