Soft Circuit Workshop

materials

I wanted to find out more about conductive inks/paints. EMR and Brillion were the only things I could find on Material Connexion.

EMR
ECOS Organic Paints
Unit 34 Heysham Business Park Middleton Road
LA3 3PP, Heysham, Lancanshire,  
United Kingdom

Main Email:     mail@ecosorganicpaints.com
Web Site:     www.ecosorganicpaints.com

ECOS EMR is a wallpaint that shields against radiation from TVs, cellphones, etc. It contains a non-toxic nickel, which also makes the paint conductive. According to the manufacturer the main use is to protect from illnesses caused by constant exposure to radiation. Most of the information explains the uses for shielding rooms from radiation; it is meant to be covered by other paints and wallpapers. However, given that it is super-conductive I’d imagine you could use it in the same way you use strips of conductive fabric for example – painting a design and using it to complete circuits. Also I’d be curious to try using the paint for a circuit then covering it with another kind of paint to see how it works when insulated.

I couldn’t find a real example of it in use, but here are the instructions for using it in your home:

Instructions for applying paints

1.  Identify the location of the field that you wish to block.

* Because the shielding materials reflect the RF signal, you will want to make sure that this reflection does not increase the exposure in another room or area.
* You can identify the source of the field by taking measurements yourself or contacting EMR Australia to do so.

2.  Prepare the surface

* Remove grease or oil stains and wallpaper that is water-soluble.  Sand smooth surfaces that do not have good adhesion.  You may need to coat porous or highly absorbent surfaces.

3.  Prepare the paint

* Mix each one litre packet of powdered paint with water thoroughly, following directions on packet and preferably using an electric mixer.

4. Paint the surface with the shielding paint.

* Allow between 12 and 24 hours for the paint to dry before repainting.

5.  Attach the grounding plate

* Attaching the grounding plate ESP or ES  by following the instructions so that the low frequency fields are conducted to earth.  We recommend that an electrician do this work.
* The grounding plate is essential for shielding against low frequency electric fields and surface.
* Paint the surface with a thick coat of sealing paint (acrylic, dispersion or vinyl).  Do not use sealing paints containing sodium silicate.


Brillion conductive ink
T-Ink   
244 West 54th Street Suite 902
New York, NY  10019
United States of America

Main Email:     info@t-ink.com
Web Site:     www.t-ink.com

This conductive ink comes in a variety of colors, and I get the impression it is intended to be used in a printer? According to the manufacturer, it can also be washed and withstand lots of use, and can be painted on lots of different kinds of materials, including fabric. I’d imagine you could print a small circuit in the same way Kate showed us using the razor/laser cutters. Or you could paint it onto something. According to wikipedia, conductive inks usually contain silver or carbon.

I don’t think this is Brillion, but it is some kind of conductive ink in use:
http://rbonini.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/digital-analog-book-hybrid/