In the near future, replacing the battery inside an iPhone will not be a risky, complex and messy task with glue everywhere. According to The informationApple is exploring new technology that will make it easier for people to remove the battery from their iPhone, making replacements and repairs more convenient.
Here’s the detail straight from the horse’s mouth: “The new technology – known as electrically induced adhesive peeling – involves wrapping the battery in metal, rather than aluminum foil, as it currently is. This would allow people to dislodge the battery from the chassis by administering a small electrical shock to the battery, the people said.”
Apple is making the change because it changed its mind about the glue problem that has irritated repair professionals and do-it-yourself enthusiasts for years. Even the folks at iFixit had to write an entire article titled “Why Electronics Rely on Glue – and Why They Shouldn’t” to further clarify the situation.
“On a 2020 iPhone model, this process can take up to two hours of disassembly, an hour of cleaning liquid corrosion damage, and then another hour of application to replace the adhesive. It’s not an easy solution,” noted the article.
Why is Apple doing this
Why is this happening now? It is due to the EU and its crusade for sustainability and a cleaner future. Last year, the European Commission notified the Battery Regulation, which, among other things, wants to deal with the situation more responsibly and in a way that does not worsen the e-waste problem. Below are the main Principles:
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Targets for recycling efficiency, material recovery and recycled content will be phased in from 2025. All collected battery waste will have to be recycled and high levels of recovery will have to be achieved.
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From 2027, consumers will be able to remove and replace portable batteries from their electronic products at any point in their life cycle.
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Portable batteries incorporated in devices must be easily removable and replaceable by the end user or independent operators during the life of the device, if the batteries have a shorter lifespan than the device, or at the latest at the end of the device’s useful life. utensil.
“In a major success for the right to repair, all new portable devices and light means of transport placed on the market will now have to be designed with replaceable batteries,” Cristina Ganapini, coordinator of the Right to Repair (Europe), he said At that time. You can read the full proposal here (PDF).
A little ionic magic
So how does Apple’s move to the conundrum called “electrically induced adhesive peeling” work? Adhesives capable of forming strong bonds while allowing quick and convenient electrically powered separation are in high demand. This technology is particularly valuable in urgent situations or for components that require frequent disassembly, says a research paper published in Materials Today Communications Daily.
The electrical and electronics sectors have a pressing need for electrically removable adhesives to enable the installation and maintenance of fragile electronic parts. Using conductive adhesives that respond to electricity to attach components to circuit boards would significantly simplify the process of removing and replacing defective elements.
An additional benefit of these adhesives is their ability to be activated remotely, eliminating the need for direct physical contact with the glued parts. Currently, the glues used to assemble smartphones depend on high temperatures for melting and removal. The technique described above does the same job, but uses electrical stimulation instead of heat.
Switching to electricity offers a promising solution that avoids many challenges. This method is based on adding ionic components, such as dissolved salts or ionic liquids, to the adhesive mixture. These additives add ionic conductivity to the glue and as a result, it responds to electrical stimulation.
Voltage-activated disconnection can reduce the risk of mechanical, thermal, or chemical damage to a phone’s internal components. However, the entire approach requires the use of conductive substrates, such as metals or materials that can be coated with a conductive layer.
Once there, the detachment process can be initiated by applying tension to the two bonded surfaces. These electrically responsive adhesives are currently attracting great interest in the aerospace and electronics segments due to their potential applications and advantages over traditional bonding methods. iPhones could end up being the biggest adopters of this promising technology in the near future.
You can read more about the process of electrical adhesion and debonding at the microscopic level in this research article published in the journal Advanced Materials Interfaces herethis is it fantastic thesis was submitted to the Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, based in Sweden. You can read more about the whole technique in the context of recycling at Royal Chemical Society.
