Paving the way for fully recyclable printed circuit boards

A vitrimer-based printed circuit board (left); and vitrimer and electrical components ready for recycling. — AFP Relaxnews

Researchers in the US have developed a new type of printed circuit board with properties comparable to those of traditional models, but which can be easily recycled – along with all the electronic components that go with it.

Today, printed circuit boards account for a large proportion of computer waste, which all too often ends up in the environment, causing polluting. The way they are designed makes them very difficult to recycle.