Study authors Bassam Aljohani and Dr Ama Aside-Asante pictured in the lab.
Photo Credit: Hosni Elwan.
Scientific Frontline: Extended "At a Glance" Summary: Reversible Electrically Conductive Glue
The Core Concept: An innovative, water-based electrically conductive adhesive that functions like traditional solder to join electronic components, but can be easily debonded for efficient recycling.
Key Distinction/Mechanism: Unlike permanent solders or standard conductive adhesives, this "one-pot" water-based glue can be effortlessly separated using a simple wash with an alkaline solution or a green solvent like acetone. It utilizes silver particles for optimal electrical conductivity but lacks volatile organic solvents and chemical hardeners, all while remaining highly resistant to bond failure in humid environments.
Origin/History: Published in the journal Advanced Electronic Materials in May 2026, the technology was developed by a collaboration of electrical and chemical engineers at Newcastle University. The research was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Major Frameworks/Components:
- Water-Based Chemical Formulation: A manufacturing process similar to paint production that utilizes cheap, scalable materials without emitting organic solvent vapors.
- Silver Particle Integration: The addition of recoverable silver particles to impart high electrical conductivity.
- Reversible Debonding Mechanism: The capability to break strong adhesive bonds on demand via non-toxic chemical solvents, allowing hardware separation without physical destruction.
Branch of Science: Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Materials Science.
Future Application: Facilitating automated recycling of printed circuit boards, reducing industrial reliance on permanent joining methods (such as toxic lead-based solders and mechanical screws), and enabling the recovery and reuse of highly valuable critical minerals in the sustainable electronics industry.
Why It Matters: Global electronic waste (e-waste) currently amounts to 62 billion kilos annually, with less than 25% being recycled. This technology tackles this critical environmental issue by making electronic components safely and easily separable, paving the way for a circular economy that mitigates toxic environmental impacts and circumvents politically unstable supply chains for critical mined minerals.
A collaboration between electrical and chemical engineers at Newcastle University has developed a reversible glue that can change how electronic waste is recycled.
The team previously demonstrated reversible adhesive technology with wide applicability in general packaging, but this new glue is electrically conductive. This allows it to join electronic components, much like solder. Unlike solder, however, the components can be separated for reuse or recycling through a simple wash with a green solvent, such as acetone, or an alkaline solution.
This water-based, “one-pot” glue does not emit organic solvent vapors and, unlike some adhesives, requires no hardener. It is as strong as other water-based glues. The adhesive is manufactured similarly to paint, but substituting silver particles for pigments gives the formulation its electrical properties. While other conductive glues exist—many of which also include silver for optimal conductivity—none can be easily debonded.
Addressing the E-Waste Problem
Electronic waste (e-waste) is a massive problem, with 62 billion kilograms produced globally (equivalent to the weight of a million average homes), and less than a quarter of it is recycled. Much of this waste contains critical minerals mined in only a few locations, some of which are politically unstable. The new glue will help address this growing e-waste problem.
The glue relies on current industrial manufacturing processes—specifically, those used to make paint—and is developed from inexpensive materials to allow for easy scaling. Being water-based, it lacks the volatile organic solvents used in many commercial glues; however, unlike other water-based adhesives, exposure to humid environments does not cause bond failure.
The glue adheres effectively to metal surfaces, as well as to plastics and printed circuit boards.
Published in the journal Advanced Electronic Materials, the work was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which provided a PhD scholarship for the paper's first author, Bassam Aljohani.
Aljohani, a PhD student at the School of Engineering, said, “Electrically conductive adhesives have been around for a long time, and making them reversible provides the solution to a very real problem that urgently needs addressing.”
Keeping Costs Down and the Environment Clean
The project's lead investigator, Mark Geoghegan, Roland Cookson Professor of Engineering Materials, added, “One of the reasons that conducting glues are rarely used is because silver is expensive and toxic in the environment. Being reversible, our glue means that the silver can be recovered and reused, which is important to keep costs down and the environment clean.”
Volker Pickert, Professor of Power Electronics and co-investigator on the project, pointed out, “Solder has the best conductivity, but the best formulations contain lead, and now companies need to ask themselves whether the conductivity outweighs environmental considerations. In some cases, it will, but there is an opportunity here to revisit how we join electrical components.”
Dr. Ama Asiedu-Asante, a researcher in Pickert’s group and a co-author of the work, said, “It's not just about solder. The electronics industry relies on permanent joining methods, including screws, which can make automated recycling more difficult. There is now increasing recognition that water-based formulations can support more sustainable electronics, and this work demonstrates how they can deliver both performance and reversibility.”
Dr. Adriana Sierra-Romero, co-author of the publication, stated, “Alongside the article, the publication of our patent highlights the broader potential of this technology to enable more sustainable, repairable, and reusable electronic systems.”
Katarina Novakovic, co-author of the paper and a project co-investigator, commented, “As international policy focus shifts away from sustainability, we remain committed to advancing critical solutions for the unsustainable use of resources.”
Title: An Electrically Conducting Water-based Reversible Adhesive
Authors: Bassam A. Aljohani, Ama B. Asiedu-Asante, Adriana Sierra-Romero, Katarina Novakovic, Volker Pickert, and Mark Geoghegan
Source/Credit: Newcastle University
Reference Number: chm051426_01
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