Carbon inks

We offer carbon inks for a diverse range of applications, from sensors and heaters, to energy storage.  

 

Why use carbon inks?

Carbon inks are one of the most versatile materials in printed and plastic electronics. This is because carbon exists in several forms, each of which has different physical properties. The most common forms of carbon are graphite, diamond, carbon black, activated carbons, graphene, and carbon nanotubes, among others. Inks produced with different forms of carbon have distinctive and widely varied properties which are determined by the type of carbon present in the ink.

Choosing the correct carbon ink can be confusing; however, it is an extremely important step for achieving the required electrical properties of the printed carbon.

The recommendations below can be used as a general guidance.

  • graphite inks maintain the properties of graphite and typically have good electrical and thermal conductivity
  • carbon black inks are based on amorphous carbon which can be a good electrical conductor but with moderate or poor thermal conductivity
  • activated carbons have high surface area and produce carbon inks suitable for electrodes in electrochemical cells such as batteries, supercapacitors, and electrochemical sensors
  • in most cases, carbons inks have to be functionalised in order to function as gas sensors or biological sensors with good selectivity
  • carbon inks based on graphene and carbon nanotubes can be extremely diverse, therefore asking the supplier for detailed technical specifications is highly recommended.

Carbon inks can produce disposable, biodegradable, and sustainable electronics, which is a particularly important and attractive property.

Customised products

We develop and supply a wide range of specialist carbon inks based on different types of carbon and graphite. Contact us for further information, detailed technical specifications, and confidential discussion about your specific requirements.

For graphene inks please read here.

PRODUCTS

C0410 Carbon conductive paste

Aqueous paste formulated with fine carbon particles which makes it suitable for high-resolution printing and deposition, providing smooth, high quality and uniform films. Suitable for a broad range of applications.

Sheet resistance is 100 Ohms/sq.

C0346 Carbon resistive ink

Aqueous ink for electrostatic discharge applications, for example coating casings and containers of electrical devices, packaging materials in the electronics industry, antistatic flooring, etc.

Sheet resistance is 1 x 106 Ohm/sq.

 

C0480 Activated carbon paste

Activated carbon paste for electrochemical energy storage.

 

C0343 Carbon resistive ink

Aqueous ink for electrostatic discharge applications, for example coating casings and containers of electrical devices, packaging materials in the electronics industry, antistatic flooring, etc.

Sheet resistance is 100 x 103 Ohm/sq.