TOWARDS USE OF BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS AS ELECTRO-COMPONENTS

摘要

The rapid growth in the ICT sector has led to an improvement in capacity of e-devices and the rate of discarded electro-devices is at an alarming rate, especially in nations where markets are flooded with huge quantities of innovative electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). This phenomenal growth has resulted an increase in the amounts of discarded waste which is obvious in Nigeria and other parts of the world. It is estimated that Nigeria generates 1.1M tonne of e-waste annually. 75% of used-EEE are stored due to uncertainty of how to manage such items. These leftovers, containing hazardous inorganic components, lie unattended and normally mixed with domestic solid wastes. This is owing to inadequate planning and appraisal of management functions of emerging wastes. Nations are now embracing rethinking strategies for managing e-waste and optimizing finite resources. Components of e-devices are chiefly made-up of valuable inorganic metals, glassware/ceramics and thermoplastics. In personal computers (PCs), 26% of its content is made-up of silica/glass, while plastic occupy 23%. Metals constitutes approximately 50% of PCs. These metals are used in circuit-boards, conducting wire and body-casing for EEE. Plastics are chiefly used in wire-coating and casing for components of e-devices. They normally biodegrade very slowly, with full degradation occurring after 500 or 1000 years. Whereas glassware/ceramics are employed in production of transistors, valves, diodes and LED components. An increase interest in cheap disposable and eco-friendly devices has focused research towards the development and adaptation of low-cost electronic sensing devices. This paper review the rising trends of WEEE, recent developments in new technologies for production of e-components with tendency of biocompatible and biodegradable at their E.o.L, as well as suggest policy direction toward applying new technology frontiers like OFETs, OTFTs, OLEDs, and OPVs in the manufacturing of electro-devices as alternative over comparable inorganic devices in the production of electro-components.