Homebrew PCBs

Another press release on conductive ink, this time it's RF energy scavenging
using broad spectrum antennas printed on paper or polymer substrate, again
using silver

"... �a unique in-house recipe� containing silver nanoparticles and/or other
nanoparticles in an emulsion. ..."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110707131545.htm

http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/device-captures-ambient-energy/

My dad used to play with "colloidal silver" he made at home using a simple
DC process. I've been wondering if there might be some way to adapt this
process to use some kind of appropriate binder material. I was thinking
maybe clear nail polish thinned down with acetone, and with a bit of
powdered carbon added to provide enough initial conductivity for the low
voltage colloidal silver process to work. As far as I know you could
probably pack quite a lot of silver into it by just running the process for
a really long time on a thimbleful of it.

Search on "colloidal silver" and you'll find various processes, ignore all
the health claims. My dad overdid it and all he got was a mild case of
argyria for his trouble (it turned him kind of grey!)

Then of course you have the fun task of getting the viscosity right for
inkjet :)

-David


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