Conductive paint adds possibilities...

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PaulRB

Senior Member
Interesting product. Wonder if it could be used in a pen plotter to draw reasonably detailed circuits onto card or board. Components could then be cold soldered on with the same paint. A great way to prototype. Possible problems would be conductivity and water soluability, although the soluability could be an advantage at prototype stage - wash it all off and start again!. A non-water soluable version for final assembly would be useful.

I've also heard of paints based on silver that can be painted onto a surface and which dry to the touch after a few minutes. They can then be heated on an oven or kiln, driving off the other compounds and leaving behind pure silver metal.

Paul
 
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rs2845

Senior Member
Looks good.

I had to buy some of the silver conductive paint to repair an LCD display which had a few damaged tracks. The quantity was disappointing for the price and it was far too liquid to easily "paint on". I had to make channels out of blutack so that it didn't spread everywhere. Worked though.

The one linked above will be good as long as it is viscous and conductive.

I'd be inclined to try it.
 
premelec

premelec

Senior Member
I notice there are articles on the Internet on mixing graphite with paint to get a conductive product - also there has been a product for patching broken auto window defrost heater conductors [I've no experience with it..]. Silver paints used to be used much more for parts on ceramic circuitry - replaced by current photolithography wonders! An early [ca 1945] integrated circuit had silver paint and printed resistors on the envelope of a subminiature vacuum tube [valve]. I think there may be conductive ink jet printer paints but haven't looked recently. There are sinterable precious metal bronze clays for making solid metallic parts and now we have 3D printers as well... so many fun materials and processes! [I used to make high resistance resistors with graphite pencil markings - not very stable... :)]. Mixing metallic and insulating powders can result in an anti-fuse - something that shorts out when a certain voltage is reached. Wandering OT in the materials science woods.... :)
 
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boriz

Senior Member
Judging by the demos, it looks pretty thick, almost like PVA. They don't use ballast resistors for the LED circuits, so I'm assuming the resultant tracks resistance added to the batteries internal resistance is sufficient.

Plotting a circuit? Neat idea. Wouldn't have to be too accurate either. Couple of decent servos would prolly manage it.

And the stuff seems to also act like glue. Just don't use any serious currents, and don't flex it or the component's might pop off :)

Could work well as an educational tool. Familiar 'pen' format. Quick results. No soldering.

Lot's of sensor possibilities...

What the hell. I'm getting some to play with :)
 
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mrburnette

Senior Member
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