Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics: Ending E-Waste

University of Maryland and Georgia Institute of Technology engineers collaborated to create the first dissolvable 3D-printed electronics. The new process rethinks the concept of recyclability, merging it with manufacturing to create a seamless circular economy. Here’s how dissolvable 3D-printed electronics could inspire a new generation of sustainable devices and more.

E-Waste is a Major Concern

The world has a problem with its tech. Not the current and latest versions, but the outdated and broken items that continue to fill up landfills. Electronics today have many valuable parts, but due to their construction method, it’s nearly impossible or highly unprofitable to take the time to retrieve these items via recycling. Consequently, these devices become trash quickly.

According to the World Health Organization, E-waste is a major contributor to global pollution. A recent report shows that approximately 65 million tons of E-waste will be discarded this year.  Sadly, this represents a 3 million ton increase over last year’s waste stats. These stats reveal a dangerous trend in which less than 22% of E-waste ever gets recycled.

Computer Chip Waste and Environmental Impact

When you delve deeper into exactly what kinds of items are wasted, you can see that computer chips are among the most popular and detrimental to the environment. The current industry standard for computer chips relies on FR-4. This material is created by combining fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin. Then, the chips get laminated with copper foil on both sides.

Combating E-Waste Challenges

There have been many attempts to reduce the amount of E-waste created globally. These approaches include rethinking the manufacturing process, researching environmentally friendly material alternatives, and seeking out cheaper options to the status quo.

However, there remain significant roadblocks in the journey to curb waste. For one, recycling methods are too expensive and require special machinery, limiting access to only industrial participants. Additionally, the recycling process can require waste to be collected and transported long distances, adding to costs and risks.

Costly Methods

Additionally, the current method revolves around utilizing heat to separate valuable components from the chips’ recyclable pieces. This approach can produce toxic fumes and other pollutants during the recycling process, offsetting its benefits. Also, it’s very energy-intensive, making it very expensive to operate.

Another major issue with PCB chip recycling strategies is that these devices are created to fulfill product-specific designs. As such, they can be fused together in various ways and using materials that can make them even harder to separate during the reclamation process. Even the best FR-4–based PCB recycling programs only support partial recovery of the valuable components.

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Study

The study “DissolvPCB: Fully Recyclable 3D-Printed Electronics with Liquid Metal Conductors and PVA Substrates 1,” which was presented at UIST 2025, introduced a novel design and fabrication method that enabled low-cost recovery of core components. The new chip design, called  DissolvPCB, is the first fully recyclable PCB to offer performance on par with traditional FDM chips.

Source – Arxiv

DissolvPCB

The enhanced design, fabrication, and recycling workflow integrates PVA-based FDM 3D printing with EGaIn liquid metal circuitry to provide similar performance from a reusable platform. Impressively, the team utilized off-the-shelf FDM 3D printers to create the new chip.

PCBA Composite

One of the first steps of the process was to discover a better material that could create stable 3D-printable circuit boards. After much research, the team decided on a new PCB composite that integrates a water-dissolvable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) dielectric as its base material.

Notably,  polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is water-soluble and will automatically begin to decompose within 24 hours of submersion. These characteristics made the material ideal for the engineer’s goals. Additionally, it’s not expensive to create and is readily available.

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Wiring

For the wiring, the team utilized a special filament called EGaIn (eutectic gallium–indium). This material is a malleable liquid metal that can be applied directly from a 3D printer. It is conductive like copper and can be applied to fit nearly any shape, making it ideal for microchips.

Electronic Components

Additionally, electrical components were manually added to the chip following the 3D printing process. From there, the team applied a polymer glue seal, designed to keep moisture out. Once applied, the glue layer and chip were heated to  60°C for an hour to complete the process.

Dissolving the Microchip

DissolvePCB lives up to its name. It can be completely reprocessed simply by submerging it in water for 24-36 hours. Even more impressive is that the PCB substrate can be collected and reused as printing filament in new chips. Additionally, the wiring made from EGaIn separates into tiny metal droplets, which can be collected and reused, alongside the manually placed components.

Designing Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics

To design their new chips, the team decided to create a special CAD upgrade. The open-source FreeCAD plugin makes it easy for engineers to convert traditional circuit schematics into designs that can be 3D printed automatically. This approach will help to reduce new user adoption and make it easier for engineers to create three-dimensional circuit traces, significantly expanding its use case scenarios.

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Test

As part of the testing phase, the team created several devices. These devices included a Bluetooth speaker, a fidget toy, and a gripper hand. Notably, the Bluetooth speaker featured a double-sided PCB, and the fidget toy leveraged 3D circuits. The team built and tested these devices against the versions that use traditional chips.

Their comparisons began with testing the functionality and performance. They then went on to compare the chips in design. This step involved capturing key details on  3D-printed trace dimensions, minimum insulation distances, conductivity, current capacity, and other crucial performance metrics. They also tested the device’s heat and moisture limits.

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Test Results

The test results revealed that the new chip design was comparable in performance to its predecessors. It offers similar capabilities and could easily be used to replace the traditional chips without any issues. This discovery opens the door for future applications.

In terms of recyclability, the new chip design outmatched previous options. The team noted that their end-to-end approach enabled easy disassembly and component recovery through simple water immersion. They documented that this method can be done locally, does not require expertise, and provides a much higher recovery yield than other recycling options.

Specifically, the team recorded recovery rates of up to 99.4% for PVA and 98.6% for liquid metals. These percentages dwarf all previous recycling and recovery methods’ performance. Additionally, the team noted that all recovered electrical components remained functional.

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Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Benefits

There are a lot of benefits that can come from dissolvable 3D printed electronics. The obvious benefit is that the process will reduce the growing amount of e-waste plaguing the world. This simple additive fabrication process has recycling built into its core design, creating a circular economy and reducing waste.

Widely Available

Another major benefit of this study is that it relies on widely available materials and processes. All of the materials and even the printer can be purchased by anyone at local stores or online. The off-the-shelf unmodded printer doesn’t cost a lot and can be adapted to specialised tasks if needed.

Flexibility

DissolvPCB opens the door for a new level of flexibility. For one, the CAD upgrade enables engineers to create through-hole (THT) and surface-mounted (SMD) chip designs with ease. They can also create single- or double-sided assemblies, enabling these chips to find a home in nearly all electronics in the future.

Scalable

Another major plus that can be ascertained from the engineer’s work is the scalability of the process. Since the recycling process doesn’t require special machines, heat, or chemicals, it’s very easy to scale up to industrial applications. As such, it appears that this strategy may be the best option for waste prevention moving forward.

Real-World Applications and Timeline for Dissolvable Electronics

There are many real-world applications for dissolvable electronics. For one, they would be ideal for prototyping and research purposes. There is a lot of waste produced in R&D. This chip design is ideal for experimentation as it eliminates the waste and allows for full flexibility in design and applications.

Working 3D Printed Electronics

This fabrication method can be combined with other printing methods to create functioning electronics. When coupled with print designs that feature programmable mechanical behaviors, this fabrication strategy enables complex prints that can be used for everything from computer chips to disposable sensors.

Medical Applications

If the engineers can figure out a reliable way to prevent pre-exposure to moisture, these chips could be ideal for medical applications. There are several medical devices, like pacemakers, that require invasive procedures to implant and remove.

In the future, medical professionals may create these devices with a port that allows them to be flooded with water when they are no longer needed. This approach could help dissolve the device and reduce contamination and surgical procedures.

Disposable Electronics

Another major use would be in the world of one-time use electronics. Disposable electronics like vapes and other devices could be created with their lifespan in mind. These devices, which continue to flood landfills, could be easily recycled as part of their lifecycle, opening the door for truly disposable electronics in the future.

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Timeline

You can expect to see these chips make their way into electronics within the next 5 years. There is a strong demand for recyclable chips, and this approach offers the flexibility and performance engineers need. Their work will help to inspire sustainable manufacturing practices moving forward.

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Researchers

Engineers from the University of Maryland, Georgia Institute of Technology, and other institutions worked together to bring the dissolvable 3D printed electronics study to light. The paper lists Huaishu Peng, Zeyu Yan, SuHwan Hong, Huaishu Peng, Tingyu Cheng, and Josiah Hester as the main contributors.

The project received financial and material support from Sandbox, the Jagdeep Singh Family Makerspace, Terrapin Works, and BioWorkshop. They also received grants from the National Science Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, VMware, and Google.

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics Future

The future of DissolvPCB depends on some key factors. For one, the team needs to do more work demonstrating the reliability and durability of their new chip design. Additionally, they must continue to explore ways to ensure the chips avoid exposure to moisture until it’s time to recycle them.

Investing in Semiconductor Manufacturing

There are many companies in the chip fabrication field. These companies hold a vital role in the electronics and tech sectors, powering today’s most advanced devices. Here’s one company that remains an innovative force in chip fabrication.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. was launched on May 1, 1969, to provide reliable semiconductors to the budding computer market. The company was founded by Jerry Sanders and a team of engineers who all originated from Fairchild Semiconductor.

Advanced Micro Devices stepped into the market with a splash due to the release of the  Am9300 shift register in 1970. By 1982, the company had agreements in place that partnered them with industry leader Intel and others. This strategic partnership helped to further brand recognition and market positioning.

The company continued to push performance boundaries with its Athlon processors. These were the first chips to achieve a 1GHz clock speed, helping the company gain strong support from manufacturers. Today, Advanced Micro Devices is a leader in the gaming, chip development, data center, and GPU industries, among others.

Latest Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Stock News and Performance

Dissolvable 3D Printed Electronics | Conclusion

It’s easy to see why dissolvable 3D Printed electronics could open the door for a safer and healthier economy. These devices could ensure that the landfills don’t get overfilled and that outdated electronic components don’t end up in our environment. For these reasons and many more, these engineers deserve a standing ovation.

Learn about other cool 3D printing breakthroughs here.

References:

^{1. Yan, Z., Hong, S., Hester, J., Cheng, T., & Peng, H. (2025, July 29). DissolvPCB: Fully Recyclable 3-D-Printed Electronics with Liquid Metal Conductors and PVA Substrates (arXiv:2507.22193). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2507.22193}

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