Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : New Ferroelectric Polymer Eliminates Need for ‘Forever Chemical’ in Wearables

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share 

New Ferroelectric Polymer Eliminates Need for ‘Forever Chemical’ in Wearables

The polymer developed at Case Western Reserve University is described as an alternative to PVDF, which contains fluorine, typically used in wearable electronics.

A ferroelectric polymer made without fluorine, a so-called forever chemical that can take centuries to break down in nature, has been developed by researchers at Case Western Reserve University. The material may represent a more environmentally friendly substitute for poly(vinylidene fluoride), or PVDF, which is typically used in wearable electronic devices, sensors, and other electrical applications.

Ferroelectricity refers to certain materials exhibiting “spontaneous polarization" that can be reversed by applying an electric field, similar to an on-off switch. Ferroelectric materials allow for the development of smaller, more-efficient electronic devices, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources.

Polymer with on/off switch

The polymer developed at Case Western and described in its newsletter, The Daily, combines flexibility, essential in wearable applications, and has tunable electronic properties that can be switched on and off.

Although the researchers are still working to improve the material's electric and elastic properties, its flexibility and eco-friendly structure offer tremendous potential in wearable technology, according to researchers at Case Western in Cleveland, OH. (The university was named by PlasticsToday recently as one of the best US colleges for plastics engineering degrees.)

How this material generates its electric properties is also fundamentally new," said lead researcher Lei Zhu, a professor of macromolecular science and engineering at the Case School of Engineering. "Unlike current ferroelectric materials, it doesn't have to crystallize to lock in the polarity that gives it electrical properties," he told The Daily.

Applications in wearable technology sensors

The polymer has broad applications in infrared detectors and sensors used in wearable electronics, where materials need to be soft, pliable, and elastic to be compatible with the human body. Conventional ceramic ferroelectric materials are rigid and brittle, according to the researchers.

Ferroelectric polymers also have applications in sensors for ultrasound diagnostic tools because they are acoustically compatible with biological tissues. They are also potentially useful in augmented and virtual reality goggles.

We're still in the development stage of synthesizing small quantities and investigating the properties," Zhu said. "But we're excited about the potential to replace environmentally harmful plastics in sensors and detectors."

The research explaining the discovery was recently published in the journal Science. The new material is patent pending.

source: Plastics Today