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Plastic electronics is a branch of technology which deals with conductive polymers and small molecules. These tiny conductive polymers are much lighter, more flexible and cheaper than other types of inorganic conductors. This makes them very versatile and useful in a wide range of applications where other materials, such as copper and silicon, would not be practical.
Plastic electronics are also simpler to make because they can be printed rather than manufactured in the photo masking process, which is very laborious. Products which are made from these types of polymer semiconductors are also much more flexible and can be formed into bendable devices, whereas other devices would snap.
The ease with which these materials can be processed and molded into complex shapes opens up a huge amount of possible applications for plastic electronics. Here are some of the potential uses for plastic electronics that we might start seeing in the future:
Real Time Electronic Newspapers
What if reading the morning news meant that you could be updated with the freshest information via a changing real time screen? Lightweight and portable e-readers already allow you to subscribe to news publications, but the potential is there to create electronic newspapers which provided news reports updated to the second. They could also display current weather, stock reports, sports results and other important time-sensitive information.Interactive Packaging
The possibility is there for product packaging to become even more helpful and informative. The use of plastic electronics in product packaging means that the box that a product comes in could include a video screen with a “How-To” demonstration of how to set it up. It could also include scrolling information, adverts and other supplementary information about the product and its uses.Interactive E-Books
Now that the technology exists for electronic e-reader screens which can display video, there are unlimited possibilities for interactive books. Imagine being able to read a story and have the illustrations become animated and come alive before your eyes. This would be especially amazing for children’s books, as the illustrations could become interactive animations which would make books more exciting and hold children’s interest for longer.Smart Windows
This is another possible application of plastic electronics technology which we might be seeing in the future. Smart windows are made with a type of glass which can change its light transmission properties when voltage is running through it. When this glass is activated it is able to change from transparent to tinted, partially blocking out the light.It could even have a setting to provide complete privacy when it is activated. Imagine being able to tint your windows during the heat of the day to keep your house cool and being able to block UV from coming through, which fades your carpets and fabrics.
Smart glass has a great deal of innovative and exciting uses, not just in home design. Smart glass could also be used in vehicles as well as in the healthcare industry to create screens for patient privacy which can be easily cleaned and disinfected.
These are just a few examples of some of the many innovative uses of plastic electronics technology which are currently being developed. Not only are plastic electronics incredibly lightweight, flexible and able to be integrated into objects, they are also easier and cheaper to fabricate and require less intensive manufacturing facilities.
These highly desirable attributes make plastic electronics one of the most exciting new technologies in existence at the moment and open up the possibilities for many innovative products which will make our lives easier and more enjoyable.
Hannah McGraphAbout the Guest Author:
Hannah McGraph is interested in everything related to technology. When she does not study the latest technology news, she likes to get outside for climbing and running.
