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Conductive Paint

eliminate wires in a jillion applications!
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Imagine what you could do if you could print circuits on/in notecards, inside auto body panels or on the chassis (an outdated structure in today's unibody world)... or on windows, glass, picture frames. Or on the outside of your bicycle frame. on clothing. Conductive paint implies insulative paint, sort of a primer that keeps paint from gounding out on metal and could then be overcoated to protect circuitry. May have applications where the weight of wires would be prohibitive. Of course, the paint will STILL have to connect to wires and devices, so we need conductive glue, I imagine a superglue that allows connections to modular plug-like terminals. Instead of etching circuit boards, you would screen print them. Paint COULD have the advantage of flexibility that would render conventional circuitry nonfunctional from vibration and flexure. The more I think about this, the more I think about this... I DID ask a buddy of mine that works for RayChem (folks what sell wires, etc to Boeing) about this idea, he said "oh, yeah, that's been done" But I think only in a very limited application. He couldn't really elaborate.

Thanks for reading my idea - nullman

nullman, May 02 2002

Printed Batteries http://www.graphics...ionsinc.com/tfb.htm
Not only can circuits be printed, but so can power sources. [waugsqueke, May 03 2002]

LNP Engineering Plastics http://www.halfbake...om/idea/www.lnp.com
[meister]'s link [phoenix, May 03 2002]

LNP Engineering Plastics http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/www.lnp
[meister]'s link [phoenix, Oct 21 2004]

[link]






       Electro conductive coatings have been around for a long time. Composite structure control surfaces on jet aircraft are painted with the stuff, for one thing. (Yes, Boeing uses the stuff, and yes, it is a limited use compared to what you propose).   

       As for printing circuits, I really think that has been around for a long time as well. Not quite as you describe it but I know that disposable cellphones and other products like that are created, printed, using semi-conductor ink equivalents.   

       I love the word "flexure," by the way. Caused me to look it up and discover the words "flexion" and "flection."  Groovy.
bristolz, May 02 2002
  

       I've been working on flexible conductive polymer "paints" in my research for years. You could theoretically dry transfer the stuff to a cotton Tee shirt and make an electronic circuit out of it. Problem is that the other components that populate useful circuits are stiff little bits. This is hideously baked to the point that last years Nobel Prize in chemistry went the pioneers in the field (Heeger, MacDairmid, Shirikawa).
phazed, May 15 2002
  

       Thanks Nullman. Your idea made me feel good. I've been working on flexible conductive polymers to apply on cloths or for daily uses in my research. Now i can make it easily. i am just at the last step for application. i will be very rich in a few months....
remzibecer, Jul 17 2002
  

       You can buy it at auto stores, for repairing those rear window heaters when the wire breaks.
pfperry, Jul 18 2002
  

       I'm disappointed to see that this has been fishboned. Oh, the idea's not original - silver-loaded conductive paints have been around for years - but the idea seems to have been posted in good faith, and is reasonable and practical. The decent thing to do would be not to have voted at all; the annotations and links clearly and politely point out the relevant prior art and that should be sufficient. Following that policy, I shall not actually vote, but I have awarded nullman a virtual croissant.
8th of 7, Jul 18 2002
  
      
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