Implementation of microcontroller board on a sustainable and degradable PLA/flax composite substrate: a case study

Abstract

In this paper, we present a novel polylactic-acid/flax-composite substrate and the implementation of a demonstrator: a microcontroller board based on commercial design. The substrate is developed for printed circuit board (PCB) applications. The pre-preg is biodegradable, reinforced, and flame-retarded. The novel material was developed to counter the increasing amount of e-waste and to improve the sustainability of the microelectronics sector. The motivation was to present a working circuit in commercial complexity that can be implemented on a rigid substrate made of natural, bio-based materials with a structure very similar to the widely used Flame Retardant Class 4 (FR4) substrate at an early technological readiness level (TRL 2-3). The circuit design is based on the Arduino Nano open-source microcontroller board design so that the demonstration could be programmable and easy to fit into education, IoT applications, and embedded designs. During the work, the design was optimized at the level of layout. The copper-clad pre-preg was then prepared and processed with subtractive printed wiring technology and through hole plating. The traditional surface mounting methodology was applied for assembly. The resulting yield of PCB production was around 50%. Signal analysis was successful with analogue data acquisition (voltage) and low-frequency (4 kHz) tests, indistinguishable from sample FR4 boards. Eventually, the samples were subjected to highly accelerated stress test (HAST). HAST tests revealed limitations compared to traditional FR4 printed circuit materials. After six cycles, the weight loss was around 30% in the case of PLA/Flax, and as three-point bending tests showed, the possible ultimate strength (25 MPa at a flexural state) was reduced by 80%. Finally, the sustainability aspect was assessed, where we found that ~95vol% and ~90wt% of the traditional substrate can be substituted, significantly easing the load of waste on the environment.