Dataset for "3D Printing of Highly Electrically Conductive Zinc for Sustainable Electronics Applications"

The increasing use of electronic devices raises concerns about resource availability and end-of-life management, particularly regarding conductors for interconnects and sensing elements. While gold and silver are the leading materials for interconnects, they pose challenges related to scarcity, cost, and toxicity. Zinc offers a promising alternative due to its good electrical conductivity, non-toxicity, abundance, and affordability. However, challenges in achieving high conductivity and waste generation from processing techniques like screen-printing remain. To address this, a zinc ink optimizes for 3D printing is proposed, using active zinc particles in a shellac matrix. The methods, including chemical and photonic sintering, achieve conductivities of up to 8.74•104 S m⁻¹ on paper substrates, with stable performance over a range of 30%–70% relative humidity at 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C respectively. Potential applications in high-conductivity transducers for humidity sensing and metal-air batteries are demonstrated, achieving a maximum power output of 3.5 mW and an open-circuit voltage of 1.25 V. The integration of digital material assembly of zinc, reliable high-performance operation, and non-toxicity pave the way for innovative advancements in sustainable electronics, including applications in environmental sensing, e-textiles, and healthcare.电子设备的使用量持续增长，引发了人们对资源可用性及产品生命周期末端管理的担忧，尤其针对互连件（interconnects）与传感元件所用的导体材料。尽管金与银是互连件的主流制备材料，但二者存在资源稀缺、成本高昂及具有毒性等应用难题。锌凭借优异的导电性、无毒性、储量丰富及成本低廉的优势，成为极具潜力的替代材料。但目前仍存在两大挑战：一是难以实现高导电性能，二是丝网印刷（screen-printing）等传统加工工艺会产生大量废弃物。为解决上述问题，本研究提出一款适配3D打印的锌基油墨，其以虫胶（shellac）为基质负载活性锌颗粒。研究采用化学烧结（chemical sintering）与光子烧结（photonic sintering）两种工艺，在纸质基材上实现了最高达8.74×10⁴ S·m⁻¹的导电率；且在15℃、20℃、25℃及30℃下，相对湿度处于30%~70%区间时，器件均可保持稳定的性能表现。本研究验证了该材料在湿度传感用高导电换能器及金属空气电池（metal-air batteries）中的应用潜力：所制备的金属空气电池最大输出功率（maximum power output）可达3.5 mW，开路电压（open-circuit voltage）为1.25 V。锌基数字化材料组装工艺、可靠的高性能运行能力及无毒性的特性三者结合，为可持续电子领域的创新发展铺平了道路，其应用场景涵盖环境传感、电子纺织品（e-textiles）及医疗健康等方向。