Scientists at the CSIR – National Chemical Laboratory have developed an indigenous and cost-effective method for producing this high-value material (NCL). Flexible electronic devices will be coated with silver nanowires by at least five Indian companies.
Key Highlight:
- Silver nanowire coatings will be used by at least five Indian companies on flexible electronic devices.
- Nanowire manufacturing costs between US$250 and $400 per gram on the international market, while NCL-technology can produce silver nanowires for less than $20 per gram.
- The use of this technology will allow Indian companies to enter niche markets to produce high-value electronic chemicals, which will eventually lead to new employment opportunities.
Pune:- Silver nanowire coatings will be used by at least five Indian companies on flexible electronic devices.
A team of researchers at Pune’s CSIR – National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) has developed an indigenous and cost-effective technology to produce this high-value material under the Department of Science and Technology’s Advanced Manufacturing Technologies initiative (DST).
Researchers in Ahmedabad, India, has licensed NCL’s process technology and are working on new applications for this high-value material.
Talks have begun with two Indian companies to develop an application for us. ” One of the NCL scientists leading the team at the Chemical Engineering and Process Development division of the CSIR-NCL has already signed the Materials Transfer Agreement with three companies.
Fillers for polymeric composites; printed circuits for display devices; current collector paste for solar cells; electronic wearables; IR shielding, and flexible electronic goods are the most common uses of this material.
Nanotubes and nanowires, two examples of one-dimensional nanomaterials, are difficult to synthesize. After that, they have to spend a lot of money to produce large quantities of their product. Thus, the development of such an indigenous technology has not only been timely, but it has also reduced the overall cost by at least ten times its original size. Nanowire manufacturing costs between US$250 and $400 per gram on the international market, while NCL-technology can produce silver nanowires for less than $20 per gram.
There has never been a more efficient and high-quality way to make functional nanomaterials, such as silver nanowires. This is the first large-scale continuous process for making nanomaterials. The use of this technology will allow Indian companies to enter niche markets to produce high-value electronic chemicals, which will eventually lead to new employment opportunities.
One of the chemicals required in the electronics industry is this one. Kulkarni, who was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 2020, said that the sector would play an essential role in up-scaling manufacturing in addition to scientific and government efforts.
Even thinner nanowires are currently being developed and tested for specific applications by impregnating the nanowires onto new surfaces and materials, which are needed for developing transparent conducting coatings.
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