A new type of carbon nanotube polymer circuit board was successfully developed
Now researchers at the university of Tokyo have developed an extensible circuit board. The product is made of a new type of elastic material that can be stretched like rubber, up to 1.7 times its original size, without affecting any properties. The secret of this material lies in the integration of a new type of carbon nanotube polymer. Although similar studies have been done before, the density of nanotubes is so high that the material hardens. Researchers at the university of Tokyo solved the problem by mixing nanotubes with an ionic liquid containing charged particles. This makes the material 500 times more conductive than any commercially available carbon nanotube polymer. The material could be used in high-tech clothing so that circuit boards can be better attached to clothing. The material could also be used in robotics to create electronic skin that would give robots a more sensitive sense of touch.