Engineers Print Flexible Electronic Circuits with a T-Shirt Printer

Imagine being able to print electronic circuits. It may not be as farfetched as you might think. Using a common t-shirt printer, scientists have successfully managed to print complex electronic circuits.

The researchers managed this feat by printing the circuits using unique materials in layers on top of everyday flexible materials, such as plastic, aluminum foil and paper. More specifically, these circuits, made up of resistors, transistors and capacitors, were printed using silver nanoparticles, carbon and plastics.

"This means we can have smarter products, such as a carton that tells you exactly when the milk expires, a bandage that prompts you when it is time for a redressing and smart patches that can monitor life signals like your heart rate," said Joseph Chang, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We are not competing with high-end processors like those found in smartphones and electronic devices. Instead we complement them with cheaply printed circuits that cost mere cents instead of a few dollars, making disposable electronics a reality."

More exciting is the fact that these printed circuits are very eco-friendly. They're printed entirely without the use of any toxic chemicals or oxidizing agents.

"Our innovative process is green, using non-corrosive chemicals," said Chang. It can be printed on demand when needed within minutes. It is also scalable, as you can print large circuits on many types of materials and most importantly, it is low cost, as print technology has been available for decades."

The new circuits could be huge for cheap circuits on products. Currently, a new start-up company is being established in order to further these circuits on products. It's possible that these circuits could wind up on everything from biomedical devices to food products.