Using coal as the main material of building electronic components, thus giving coal raw material new value...

In order to find a new alternative materials, at the Massachusetts institute of technology (MIT) researchers in materials science and engineering (DMSE) in a new point of view, and use of coal as the main material of building electronic components, thus giving coal raw material for the new value.

After this kind of material has been treated as thin film, MIT PhD candidate Brent Keller Jeffrey together with other researchers study the characteristics of this kind of raw material, not just consider the material used for fossil fuels, or as the coal source of raw materials for the petrochemical industry.

The researchers developed a series of steps, to grind into powder coal materials, placed in the solution, and then on the base board evenly deposition of thin films, as used in the manufacture of electronic components and characterized.

In order to display the traditional low technical materials have a wide range of potential applications, MIT researchers have successfully produced a simple electronic heating device, for car or airplane wings can be used to defrost, or as part of the biomedical implants.

In the development of the first application, the researchers for the first time for the four different kinds of thin film materials in detail describes the coal chemical, electronic and optical properties, including the four coal anthracite, anthracite, lignite lignite, bituminous coal, bituminous and sub-bituminous coal (sub - bituminous), etc. The results of this research has been published in the latest issue of the nano letters (NanoLetters) issue of the journal.

The researchers used not refined grinding coal developed a simple heating device (when placed under the infrared light, show the heat produced by the device (source: MIT)

Researchers using natural coal types, complete the task, rather than having to purify or refining, produce electronic device. Researchers say, may have different coal across the conductivity of the 7 amplitude range, says a specific type of coal may already have a certain the conductivity of the components needed. The researchers also found that simply adjust the temperature at which the coal processing, can be accurately tuned optical and electronic properties of materials to the required value.

The team to develop a simple heating device for the principle of "verification", show how to use this material to provide end-to-end, from grinding coal to the deposition of thin films, and allowing it to manufacture in functional electronic devices. Researchers say, is now can provide a wide range of various potential applications and future open a door of further research.