Copper vs. Silver for Printed Electronics

Copper vs. Silver for Printed Electronics: Nano Copper Inks That Outperform Silver

Anything You Can Print with Silver, Copper Does Better

• Lower Costs
• High Conductivity
• Lower Carbon Footprint
• Full Design Freedom

Copper and silver are both widely used in printed electronics, but their distinct properties make copper a superior choice in many applications. When switching from silver to copper inks, electronics manufacturers benefit from lower costs, enhanced sustainability, and improved performance.

Key Advantages of Copper Over Silver:

100X Cost Savings

Copper is a highly cost-effective material, priced between $7-12 USD per kilogram, compared to silver’s $900-1100 per kilogram. This substantial cost difference makes copper a far more affordable option for electronics manufacturing.

High Conductivity

Copper’s conductivity is just 5% lower than silver, making it an excellent choice for applications that require efficient current flow and heat transfer. Copper’s high conductivity ensures superior performance at a fraction of the cost.

Lower Carbon Footprint

Copper has a significantly lower carbon footprint than silver. Producing a kilogram of copper generates only 3.97 kg CO2, compared to silver’s 155 kg CO2 per kilogram. Copprint Nano Copper is made from recycled copper, further reducing its environmental impact.

Lower Toxicity

Copper is 10 times less toxic than silver when present in drinking water. The EPA’s maximum allowable limit for silver is 0.1 mg/L, while for copper, it’s 1 mg/L, making copper a safer material for both the environment and human health.

Greater Availability

Copper is 1,000 times more abundant in the Earth’s crust than silver, with copper found at 68 parts per million (ppm), while silver is far rarer at just 0.08 ppm. This abundant availability makes copper more reliable and sustainable for large-scale electronics manufacturing.

Electronics Design Unleashed

Copper additive printing allows for the creation of complex designs, including double sided printing and a range of substrates and printing methods, for design versatility, difficult or impossible to achieve using traditional manufacturing methods.