Researchers Getting the Lead Out of Electronics 178
alphadogg writes "Researchers at the University of Maryland say they have discovered a material to replace lead, a potential environmental hazard, in electronics products. The material, bismuth samarium ferrite (BSFO), was found by researchers in the university's A. James Clark School of Engineering. It can be used in products such as biomedical imaging devices and inkjet printers, and if implemented commercially could keep lead out of landfills and the ecosystem, they say. While manufacturers have developed replacements for lead in many products, until now no commercial replacement existed for lead zirconate titanate (PZT) — the material of choice for transducers, actuators, sensors and microelectromechanical systems used in common electronic devices, the university says."
But...but... (Score:2, Funny)
...bismuth is radioactive!
Re:Reality check... (Score:4, Funny)
If your toddler is licking mining ore I think your first court date will be with child protection services, not the manufacturer.
$130 / 100g (Score:4, Funny)
A quick search came up with one site listing the cost of Samarium as $130 per 100g. I'm sure that's cost effective for medical imaging equipment. And I had never realized this, but our local landfill is positively brimming with discarded medical scanning equipment. I might try to scavenge some of this, but all the discarded MRI machines are clumped together by some unseen force.
Re:What about radiation shielding? (Score:4, Funny)
So we can't throw 60 tons of lead at DC because the DC politicians are even more dense?
Sorry offtopic, but we are talking about dense things.
Re:What about radiation shielding? (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, no fair actually knowing how physics work! Here we are, all sci-FI about things, and you barge in with just sci... you must think you're sooooooo much better than the rest of us don't you?
Good day sir, I say good day.
Duh..... (Score:4, Funny)
".....could keep lead out of landfills and the ecosystem, they say."
-Because everybody knows lead isn't from the environment.