Mikko Paakkolanvaara | Screentec: Can cellulose substrates and carbon-based inks match the performance of fossil plastics and silver in disposable sensors?
07:50 - 09:10
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Summary of the clip:
Are we ready to transition medical and diagnostic electrodes from fossil-based substrates to high-performance, circular materials?
The printed electronics industry is facing a critical inflection point as regulatory pressure and environmental mandates target single-use plastics. Currently, the vast majority of commercial biosensors and disposable electrodes rely on fossil-based polymer substrates, specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). While these materials provide excellent mechanical stability, their long-term environmental footprint is increasingly unsustainable under emerging circular economy frameworks.
To address this challenge, advanced manufacturing is shifting toward pulp-based substrates integrated with alternative conductive chemistries. By replacing conventional silver inks with carbon and copper pastes, manufacturers can significantly mitigate the environmental burden of disposable diagnostics. This material transition maintains the required electrical performance while ensuring the device housing and substrate align with green chemistry principles.
Life cycle assessments reveal a stark contrast in global warming potential (GWP) between traditional and sustainable material stacks. Standard PET-silver electrode configurations exhibit a high GWP footprint, whereas transitioning to paper-based substrates and carbon-based conductors reduces this metric to a fraction of its original value. This shift represents the ultimate goal for sustainable printed electronics, with viable hybrid material stacks serving as immediate stepping stones.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The environmental limitations of current PET and TPU substrates in single-use electrode applications.
* How pulp-based substrates combined with carbon and copper pastes offer a sustainable alternative to silver.
* The comparative global warming potential (GWP) of traditional silver-on-plastic versus paper-on-carbon electrode designs.
š **Clip Abstract** The speaker discusses the environmental impact of using fossil-based plastics like PET or TPU and silver in current electrode manufacturing. He proposes transitioning to pulp-based substrates with carbon and copper pastes to drastically reduce global warming potential.
š¤ Speaker: Mikko Paakkolanvaara
š¢ Company: Screentec
š
Event: Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA 2026
š Location: Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA
š Learn more at the next TechBlick event: https://www.techblick.com
#PaperElectronics, #CarbonInks, #DisposableSensors, #BiodegradableSubstrates, #PrintedElectronics, #GreenElectronics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Sustainable medical electrodes
Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA 2026
10-11 June 2026
Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA
Organised By:
TechBlick
More Highlights from the same talk.
05:36 - 06:44
Why does a simple storage pouch make up one of the highest material costs of a disposable medical electrode?
Why does a simple storage pouch make up one of the highest material costs of a disposable medical electrode?
Analyzing the bill of materials for high-volume disposable medical electrodes reveals significant cost concentrations beyond the expected active sensor components. Traditional constructions utilize conductive silver/silver chloride ink screen-printed onto synthetic substrates. Due to the rapid escalation in bulk silver pricing, the conductive traces remain a primary driver, alongside the mechanical integration of snap-on connectors and assemblies.
Surprisingly, the high-barrier packaging itself represents the third critical cost pillar. Because conventional electrodes utilize aqueous hydrogels to establish stable skin contact, they require specialized packaging to prevent moisture loss during storage. This necessitates the use of complex PET-aluminum laminate pouches featuring exceptionally low moisture vapor transmission rates (MVTR), adding substantial material and processing overhead.
To design next-generation medical wearables, teams must look past the sensor layout and address the holistic system cost. By redesigning the chemical interface and shifting away from silver, manufacturers can dramatically simplify both the connector assembly and the barrier properties required of the packaging.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The top three material and manufacturing cost drivers in traditional medical electrode bills of materials.
* Why silver price volatility and connector assembly processes heavily impact the final unit economics.
* How the moisture retention requirements of hydrogels necessitate expensive, high-barrier PET-aluminum packaging.
š **Clip Abstract** This clip breaks down the core material cost drivers in disposable medical electrode manufacturing, identifying silver inks, connectors, and high-barrier packaging as key bottlenecks. It explains how the water content in hydrogels forces the use of expensive PET-aluminum pouches to maintain shelf-life stability.
š Link in comments š
#HighBarrierPackaging, #AqueousHydrogels, #SilverInks, #MedicalElectrodes, #PrintedElectronics, #MedicalWearables
15:09 - 16:02
How does eliminating hydrogel from printed paper sensors unlock ultra-low-cost, sustainable paper packaging?
How does eliminating hydrogel from printed paper sensors unlock ultra-low-cost, sustainable paper packaging?
Integrating standard wet hydrogels with cellulose-based paper substrates creates a severe material incompatibility. The high water content in the hydrogel naturally migrates into the porous paper, causing the substrate to swell, wrinkle, and lose mechanical integrity. Concurrently, the hydrogel dries out, leading to a rapid spike in contact impedance and ultimate failure of the biosignal measurement.
To resolve this issue, material scientists are substituting hydrogels with specialized conductive skin adhesives. Unlike hydrogels, these dry conductive adhesives do not rely on high water activity to maintain electrical contact with the skin. This chemical shift prevents moisture transfer into the cellulose substrate, maintaining both the physical flatness of the sensor and stable signal transmission.
From a system-level economic perspective, this chemical substitution yields a massive packaging advantage. Because the conductive adhesive is highly resistant to drying, the need for expensive, high-barrier PET-aluminum foil pouches is eliminated. Manufacturers can instead package the final medical devices in cheap, recyclable paper or simple plastic pouches, compounding the sustainability and cost benefits.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why the moisture migration between hydrogels and paper substrates causes structural deformation and electrical failure.
* How conductive skin adhesives function as a dry alternative to preserve the mechanical properties of cellulose sensors.
* The compounding cost savings achieved by eliminating high-barrier PET-aluminum pouches in favor of recyclable paper packaging.
š **Clip Abstract** This clip explains the engineering solution to the incompatibility of hydrogels and paper substrates by using conductive skin adhesives. It details how this substitution preserves sensor mechanics and allows manufacturers to replace expensive barrier packaging with cheap, recyclable alternatives.
š Link in comments š
#PaperElectronics, #DryConductiveAdhesives, #CelluloseSubstrates, #SustainablePackaging, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics