Copper Inks for Printed Electronics - We deliver it for your production

   In Danish
Production-ready copper ink with low resistivity – a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to silver ink.

Copper ink for printed electronics makes it possible to print conductive circuits, antennas, and sensors on flexible substrates using standard screen printing equipment. For more than ten years, the Danish Technological Institute has developed and refined copper ink based on copper nanoparticles and today delivers an ink that is ready for industrial production – featuring conductivity and adhesion among the best on the market.

When does the need for copper inks arise? 

For manufacturers of printed electronics, the choice of conductive ink is one of the most critical decisions affecting product price, performance, and environmental profile. Most companies in the industry currently use silver ink, but this creates a number of concrete challenges:

• Rising material costs: Silver is an expensive raw material with highly volatile prices. When printed electronics need to be scaled from prototype to large-scale production - e.g., in smart packaging, RFID tags, or flexible sensors - material cost becomes a critical constraint on the product's commercial viability. 
• Sustainability requirements and regulatory pressure: The extraction and processing of silver are associated with high greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. As companies and their customers place stricter demands on environmental profiles and sustainable production, silver ink becomes a challenge – not only economically, but also in relation to life cycle assessments and green product requirements. 
• Need for scalable production using existing equipment: Many alternative copper ink formulations require specialized equipment or adapted processes, making the transition from silver complicated and expensive. Companies need an alternative that can be integrated directly into existing production lines using standard screen printing equipment and heat press curing. 
• Uncertainty regarding performance and process compatibility: Historically, copper inks have faced challenges with oxidation and lower conductivity compared to silver. Manufacturers considering the transition require documented performance and the ability to test the ink in smaller volumes and within their own production facilities before committing. 

How can Danish Technological Institute help you? 

Danish Technological Institute is an independent supplier of copper ink with over ten years of experience in developing functional inks based on copper nanoparticles. We offer:

• Production-ready copper inks with resistivity and adhesion among the best on the market 
• Compatibility with standard equipment - the ink can be used with conventional screen printing processes and heat press curing 
• Printing on standard substrates such as polyester and polycarbonate films 
• Sample delivery for testing and evaluation in your own production (200 g of copper ink for €475 excl. shipping) 
• Expert consulting and prototyping with access to the Danish Technological Institute's state-of-the-art facilities 
• Support for industrial implementation - from testing to full production

Advantages of our copper inks:

• Among best-in-market resistivity / adherence
• The Danish Technological Institute stands out as an independent supplier with proven expertise in functional inks
• Easy to process and compatible with standard screen-printing and heat press curing processes
• Fully ready for industrial adoption, supported by the Danish Technological Institute's experts and state-of-the-art equipment for prototyping

The Danish Technological Institute's copper inks are designed for switches, RFID / antennas, heaters, and a range of potential applications in photovoltaics and smart sensors - ideal where flexibility, high-volume, sustainable, and cost-effective production are essential.

Do you need samples?

If you would like to know more about how copper inks can add value to your products - or if you need samples - please contact Christian Dalsgaard at +45 7220 2095 or chda@teknologisk.dk

For performance evaluation, we provide a 200g copper ink sample for €475, plus shipping cost. To provide you with a quote, we need the following information:

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Green transition

The shift from silver to copper ink in printed electronics aligns perfectly with modern principles of sustainable design.

• In comparison to silver, copper is a cost-effective, abundant alternative with 96,5 % lower environmental impact [Ref. T. M. Prenzel et al., Matériaux & Techniques, 109, 506, 2021.]
• The extraction and processing of silver are associated with higher greenhouse gas emissions and water usage compared to copper.
• Silver can be toxic in certain forms and concentrations, posing risks during both manufacturing and end-of-life disposal.
• Copper’s lower cost not only makes sustainable choices more viable; it also enables wider adoption of printed electronic technologies for applications like flexible circuits, sensors, and smart packaging.