Researchers getting the lead out of electronics

Researchers at the University of Maryland say they have discovered a material to replace lead, a potential environmental hazard, in electronics products.

The material, bismuth samarium ferrite (BSFO), was found by researchers in the university's A. James Clark School of Engineering. It can be used in products such as biomedical imaging devices and inkjet printers, and if implemented commercially could keep lead out of landfills and the ecosystem, they say.

Citing data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the university says U.S. households threw out more than 300 million electronic devices in 2006, many of which were improperly disposed of. The situation may worsen in a few months when the United States moves to digital-only broadcasting and thousands of older, lead-containing analog TV sets are obsolete.

While manufacturers have developed replacements for lead in many products, until now no commercial replacement existed for lead zirconate titanate (PZT) -- the material of choice for transducers, actuators, sensors and microelectromechanical systems used in common electronic devices, the university says.

PZT is more than 40% lead, but it also has piezoelectric properties, which means it acts like a switch -- it can either create a voltage when mechanical stress is applied to it or it can deform its shape when voltage is applied. This behavior is used to create actuators, moving components in electronic devices that translate electrical input into motion to accomplish mechanical tasks, such as controlling the inkjet nozzles on a printer.

University of Maryland researchers say BSFO can operate at higher temperatures and is easier to make than other proposed lead-free alternatives, making it a good candidate for a PZT replacement.

Products that use the new compound could hit the market in about five years, according to the university, after large-scale testing takes place, industry awareness and demand happens, and a method for mass production is created.

The research is funded by the Keck Foundation, the National Science Foundation's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, and the Army Research Office.