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As wearable electronics proliferate, so potentially will e-waste associated with them. A research team at Seoul National University has developed a fully biodegradable conductive fiber for wearable electronics, especially medical applications.
The team used tungsten microparticles and the biodegradable polymer polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate, or PBAT, to create the conductive fiber that is coated with a flexible, water-resistant polyanhydride layer. The fiber is compatible with dry-jet wet-spinning, a scalable process that enabled the team to produce lengths exceeding 10 meters (33 feet) in a continuous run.
Its conductivity is about 2,500 siemens per meter, the fiber stretches up to 38% without failure, and it can endure more than 20 laundry cycles and 5,000 bending events.
To validate their work, the researchers integrated the fiber into a wearable armband and created an embroidered eco-emblem. The armband featured a temperature sensor, electromyography electrodes and a wireless power coil. The biodegradable fiber fully disintegrated in soil after a few months.
“The ability to design electronics that match the life cycle of the application—and then gracefully disappear—opens up new possibilities in medical patches, smart uniforms, environmental sensors and beyond,” says Jae-Young Bae, Ph.D., a co-leader on the research team.
The study was published in NPJ Flexible Electronics July 8, 2025.
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