Sustainable material reduces risk of damage to devices due to electrostatic discharge
Sensitive electronic devices, such as chips and semiconductors, are highly valuable and need to be boxed in special packaging to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge. They are present in our everyday lives, on computers, cell phones, TVs and even cars. Researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) developed a new antistatic and sustainable packaging, made from sugarcane bagasse and carbon black, for the protection of these equipment.
Called conductive cryogel, the compound is made from cellulose extracted from plants and agro-industrial residues, such as sugarcane bagasse and carbon black, a material produced by the incomplete combustion of vegetable matter, such as coal and coal tar, or petroleum products. It can be used in packaging to transport microchips, semiconductors and other electronic components, guaranteeing safety without compromising the environment. The CNPEM research that resulted in the product, published in the journal Advanced Sustainable Systems, innovates by offering an alternative material to petroleum-based plastic foams, today used to protect electronic components and prevent damage from electrostatic discharges. The idea is that cryogel, which is predominantly plant-based, replaces the highly polluting plastic product.
Funded by Fapesp, the study is signed by researchers Gabriele Polezi, Elisa Ferreira, Juliana da Silva Bernardes and Diego Nascimento, all of them from CNPEM’s Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano). The product has no similarity on the market and has already had a patent filed. CNPEM will now seek, through its Innovation Advisory, partnership with companies willing to invest in industrial-scale production.
The new packaging protects materials increasingly present in advanced electronic equipment. According to a US Department of Commerce report, the global market for electrostatic discharge sensitive products packaging is expected to reach USD 5.1 billion by 2026.
“Our objective is to offer a sustainable alternative to the sensitive electronics packaging industry, replacing plastic materials with less polluting and high-performance options”, explains Juliana Bernardes, study coordinator.
The CNPEM material has a light and porous structure, with high mechanical resistance and properties that hinder the spread of flames. Its ability to conduct electricity can be adjusted as needed: at low carbon black concentrations (1% to 5%), slowly dissipates electrostatic charges; at higher concentrations (above 10%), it becomes an efficient conductor and can be used in more advanced applications to protect highly sensitive electronic equipment.
Although production costs have not yet been priced in, the conductive cryogel has a series of environmental and competitive advantages. It provides greater resistance to fire, versatility and uses abundant raw materials. Cellulose, for example, can be obtained from sugarcane bagasse and other agroindustrial residues, such as corn straw and eucalyptus chips. Carbon black is used in tire production and in industry — ancient Chinese and Egyptians already used the black powder for mural painting and printing.
