Bayer: nanoinks for printed electronics

05 May 2010

Printed electronics is one of the applications that developers of nanomaterials are likely to have in mind when justifying investment into nanotechnologies and facilities for producing nanoparticles and nanoinks.

However, the growth of printed electronics has proven difficult to accurately predict, and has certainly taken longer than most market forecasts had expected.

Nanomaterials are nevertheless being honed by companies hoping to play a big part in the supply chain for producers of emerging technologies like OLED displays and lighting, organic solar cells and smart packaging.

Bayer MaterialScience in Germany has continued developing its nanomaterials for printed electronics applications. The company's products include nanoinks based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver nanoparticles.

Bayer's CNT ink, called BayInk, is specifically targeted at the printed electronics market, offering conductivity and good adhesion to plastic films for flexible substrates.

Delay

However, the company has noted the delay in progress of suitable technologies.

'If you think about the readiness of the markets, and what products are using nanotechnologies, it is not as extensive as people expected - there has been a delay in the timing for general products,' remarks Karsten Dierksen, head of R&D for printed electronics and functional materials.

While most users of such materials are those in the R&D stages, some companies are moving into commercialisation - notably the likes of Konarka and G24 Innovations for organic solar cells added to bags and carry cases.

However, there is a stalemate in terms of how nanomaterials suppliers and users from printed electronics businesses will scale up.

'It's a chicken and egg situation. It comes down to investment, and who takes the first step.'

'For this market there are bits and pieces that have to be matured, and that will take some more time. We need to continue to optimise product performance and find the right breakthrough applications,' Dierksen remarks.

Breakthrough

For Bayer, the supply chain needs to wait for the breakthrough application to occur, before materials producers begin to scale up in earnest to meet demand from a proven market.

Candidates include organic solar cells and OLED lighting panels, notes Dierksen.

However, applications other than printed electronics could provide the impetus for nanomaterials suppliers to increase production capacity. Bayer is working with a number of companies in other markets that have found applications for its conductive nanoinks.

And, should these applications justify increasing capacity, printed electronics firms may gain confidence from knowing the supply of nanomaterials for their own applications has become sufficient.

'We'll scale up our materials production as soon as we see a commercialised product,' says Dierksen.

The role of nanomaterials in printed and plastic electronics is the topic of an in-depth series of features in Volume 3, issue 1 of +Plastic Electronics magazine. To sign up in time for your copy of the next issue visit our subscriptions page, or email publications@pira-international.com to find out more.