Infineon Is Using Circuit Boards That Can Be Recycled Using Hot Water

Germany's largest semiconductor manufacturer, Infineon Technologies, is using printed circuit boards (PCB) that can easily be recycled by immersing them in hot water.

Infineon is experimenting with a biodegradeable PCB(Opens in a new window) developed by UK start-up Jiva Materials(Opens in a new window). It's called Soluboard and is manufactured from natural fibers, a number of other biodegradeable ingredients, and a halogen-free polymer. The finished board is as flame retardant as other PCB substrates on the market today.

When Soluboard is immersed in warm water the polymer dissolves and the layers of the composite material delaminate, which allows the fibers to be composted and the "remaining solution" can be safely disposed of just like waste water. The additional benefit of these PCBs is the way in which they breakdown (see the image below), allowing 90% of the components attached to a board to be reclaimed and then either reused or recycled.

In contrast, traditional PCBs are manufactured from glass-based fibers, which are not only difficult to recycle, but make it much more difficult to recycle the components and metals attached to them.

"For the first time, a recyclable, biodegradable PCB material is being used in the design of electronics for consumer and industrial applications – a milestone towards a greener future," said Andreas Kopp, Head of Product Management Discretes at Infineon’s Green Industrial Power Division.

The world is understandably focused on carbon emissions, and Soluboard is good news in that regard, too. According to Jonathan Swanston, CEO and co-founder of Jiva Materials, "replacing FR-4 PCB materials with Soluboard would result in a 60 percent reduction in carbon emissions – more specifically, 10.5 kg of carbon and 620 g of plastic can be saved per square meter of PCB."

For now, Infineon is only using Soluboard for demo and evaluation boards, but the company is "exploring the possibility of using the material for all boards to make the electronics industry more sustainable."

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