Cheap CD Plastic Could Improve Aircraft, Computers, Electronics

May 17th, 2009

A recent study suggest that the inexpensive plastic used in CDs, and DVDs could soon improve the integrity of airplane electronics, computers, and other electronics like iPhones.

The U.S. Air Force has offerd a pair of grants to Shay Curran, associate professor of physics at the University of Houston, where his research team have demonstrated ultra-high electrical conductive properties in plastics, called polycarbonates, by mixing them with just the right amount and type of carbon nanotubes.

“While its mechanical and optical properties are very good, polycarbonate is a non-conductive plastic. That means its ability to carry an electrical charge is as good as a tree, which is pretty awful,” Curran said. “Imagine that this remarkable plastic can now not only have good optical and mechanical properties, but also good electrical characteristics. By being able to tailor the amount of nanotubes we can add to the composite, we also can change it from the conductivity of silicon to a few orders below that achieved by metals.”

For us this just means less cost for manufacturing what we want, and possibly lasting longer, which will also save us electronics money that we can use at Las Vegas hotels.