Lead free electronics a reality?

Lead oxide can cause both acute and chronic health and environmental problems and European regulators have decided that the use of lead in electronics must be phased out. The researchers have focused on finding a replacement for a lead-containing material called PZT, which is found in almost all electronics. At present, researchers have mostly failed to find a good enough alternative that provides the same functionality and, as a result, the electronics industry has been exempt from the ban. A material called alkali niobate (KNN) has long been considered a possible alternative, but finding a manufacturing method that provides both the right material properties and is industrially feasible has proved problematic. Now a group of researchers led by Tor Grande at NTNU's Department of Materials Science claim to have solved both problems. According to Grande, microscopic 'ingredients' are baked, rolled out and cooked in thin ceramic sheets. But the secret is the highly precise structure of the ceramic sheet, which has a texture that helps transform mechanical pressure into electrical signals, and vice versa. This gives the sheet the exact same properties as PZT. "The method we have developed kills two birds with one stone," says Grande. "Not only can we adjust the process to create properties in the ceramic sheet that are precisely suited to different electronics - we can also scale up the process so that we can produce almost unlimited amounts of it." The team has submitted a patent application and is now working on verification and further development. "If we succeed, it will be of great commercial interest," Grande says. "I will be surprised if this product doesn't take over a significant part of the market in ten years. Maybe this will help in the creation of green electronic products?"