Project description
Thin, flexible ceramics for circuit boards
The EU-funded Flexiramics project supports Netherlands-based company Eurekite in developing a flexible material that has numerous benefits over current ceramics. It can be bent and shaped into any position, is not brittle and is fireproof. Although this fibre-based ceramic is light and flexible like tissue paper, it retains the main physiochemical properties of traditional ceramics, such as heat resistance. Eurekite plans to use the new material in a flexible printed circuit board, combining the flexibility and lightness of a polymer with the thermal and dielectric properties of a ceramic.
Objective
FLEXIRAMICS® is light and flexible like paper but 100% ceramic and has a low cost for a ceramic; it is calculated that Flexiramics® will costs 30€/m2 at production level whereas ceramic sheets costs tens of hundreds of euros. Its unique properties open new doors for the development of next generation products limited by traditionally available materials.
Flexiramics® has numerous benefits over current ceramics, in particular that it behaves like paper and can be bent and shaped into any position, and that it is not brittle. Therefore it can be used in many harsh environments without the limitations of currently available to ceramics and also providing unique thermal, electrical, catalytic and filtering characteristics.
Flexiramics® has been developed as a novel functional 100% ceramic nanofibers mat. It consists of a non-woven matrix of ceramic nanofibers, which enhances its flexibility. Furthermore, when combined with a polymer (up to 50% ceramic loading), we obtain a High Performance Film where plastic properties are improved.
Will Flexiramics Change Circuit Boards Forever? Current flex PCBs are fabricated on top of polymer substrates, which have a very low thermal conductivity. Chips and electronic components generate heat; when a substrate with low thermal conductivity is used, the chip get hotter, lose efficiency and malfunction. Flexiramics® PCBs can achieve a significant improvement in thermal conductivity, which would be beneficial for power electronics and telecommunications.
We strategically chose to work on the polymer-ceramic composite market as it is a fast-growing market and Flexiramics® can break the limitation of the ceramic loading. We choose to make Flexiramics®-PI due to the large usage of this polymer in the fields of flexible displays and PCBs.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibers
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcomposites
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringceramics
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunications
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.2.1.2. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies Main Programme
- H2020-EU.2.1.5. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced manufacturing and processing
- H2020-EU.2.1.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced materials
- H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
7522 NM ENSCHEDE
Netherlands
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.