Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Printed and flexible electronics have gained considerable scientific attention in recent years, driving the demand for low-energy production techniques, eco-friendly materials and flexible substrates. However, effective encapsulation is essential to protect these devices in harsh environmental conditions. Thus, sustainable encapsulant materials are critical for advancing flexible electronics. In this work, we studied three encapsulant materials—commercial plastic, polyvinyl alcohol and ethyl cellulose—applied to thermoelectric touch sensors printed on paper and fabric substrates. Ethyl cellulose demonstrated promising properties in terms of flexibility, water resistance and transparency, along with a low carbon footprint. Encapsulated substrates with ethyl cellulose exhibited high contact angles (121° on fabric and 116° on paper), indicating robust water repellency. Thermal stability tests showed minimal mass loss (10%) at 315 °C, confirming its temperature resilience. Furthermore, sensors encapsulated with ethyl cellulose retained their electric performance after water submersion for 1 min and withstood 100 bending cycles, maintaining response times below 1 s and signal output around 100 µV. These findings highlight ethyl cellulose as a viable green encapsulant material compatible with large-scale sustainable electronics manufacturing.
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,690
Awards: G1041569632, G110544509, G1152344396, Emerging Printed Electronics Research Infrastructure (EMERGE), G2010546512, Instituto de Nanoestruturas, Nanomodelação e Nanofabricação, G2781882680, Truly Sustainable Printed Electronics-based IoT Combining Optical and Radio Wireless Technologies, G3109349719, G31730716, G3181659209, G3358378301, G3443510363, G3729462117, G3783317134, Instituto de Nanoestruturas, Nanomodelação e Nanofabricação, G41775389, G434337789, G4530738012, G4937468798, G4971050434, G59643002, G6280310554, Papel Inteligente para sistemas de identificação - IDS-Paper, G6726495092, PRINTED ELECTRONICS FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY, SYmbiosis for eNERGY harversting concepts for smart platforms on foils, G786536119, Instituto de Nanoestruturas, Nanomodelação e Nanofabricação, G8911869519, G99328848
OpenAlex ID: W4405581746