New Printed Electronics Ink from CHASM Advanced Materials for High Volume Transparent Touch Buttons and Sensors

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Flexible printed electronics, Signis™ VC102. Specially formulated from CHASM’s patented V2V™ ink vehicle and industry leading single wall CNTs, VC102 delivers printable, flexible transparent conductors with superior environmental robustness and optical performance than commercial alternatives such as PEDOT. Screen printable on a variety of flexible substrates, VC102 is well-suited for cost-effective transparent circuit production at high volumes for touch buttons and sensors used in many applications including appliances, automotive interiors, and industrial controls.

"Both manufacturers and application designers tell us their customers demand electronic devices with user interfaces that are intuitive, attractive, responsive, seamless and trouble-free," said David J. Arthur, CEO and Co-Founder, CHASM Advanced Materials, Inc. "But they're challenged to find a complete solution to produce capacitive touch buttons that are transparent without having a blue color-cast and one with durability to provide service longevity in the hot/wet environments found in automotive or white good applications. CHASM's CNT ink is the alternative innovative product companies have been searching for."

Developed in direct response to repeated feedback from printed electronics manufacturers, VC102 balances value, printing consistency, simplicity of patterning and environmental stability. Producing a sheet resistance of 800-1000 ?/? at a transparency of 85% VLT, VC102 is well suited to high volume transparent FPC applications. Suitable for harsh environment applications, VC102 successfully completed 1,000 hours of environmental testing at 65°C / 85% RH, exhibited minimal variation in resistance while transparency, haze and color remained very stable. Independently completed testing of 1000 hours at 85°C / 85% RH produced comparable results. VC102 is also neutral in color being made from CNTs so it does not impart a blue color cast to transparent circuits.

During beta testing at printed electronics manufacturers across the globe, VC102 has shown consistent print quality and met their requirements for optoelectronic performance. According to an Engineering Manager for a Printed Electronics Manufacturer in the United States, “We traditionally used a lot of PEDOT in touch button applications because it was readily available and could be screen printed. However, its performance is unpredictable, causing many trials and samples iterations when trying to win new business. This causes delays and a lot of frustration with potential customers as they are trying to get a new product to market as fast as they can and prevents them from keeping us in mind for future projects. VC102 provides a more reliable and predictable material, keeping our customers satisfied and their confidence in us high.”

VC102 will be available beginning early in Q2-2020 directly from CHASM or select distributors worldwide. Visit CHASM’s website here to learn more and sign up here to be notified as soon as it ready to ship.