Liquid Wiring

​The global cable sector, which has achieved steady growth in recent years, is expected to continue this trend in the coming period. While the global cable market size is currently estimated to be around 240 billion dollars, it is predicted that the market size will exceed 300 billion dollars by 2028. The Turkish cable industry has reached the level of advanced countries in terms of technology and know-how. Today, all types of energy and communication cables are produced in our country according to international standards. In 2023, Türkiye's total cable sector exports amounted to 3.1 billion dollars. The European Union is the country group to which our country exports the most, with a share of 41%. The countries to which we export the most are the United Kingdom, Germany and Iraq. Turkey is the 12th country with the highest exports in the world cable trade, which has reached 160 billion dollars, with a share of approximately 2%. China is the country that exports the most cables in the world, followed by Mexico and the USA.

The cable sector faces challenges such as the need to adapt to fluctuations in raw material prices, increasing competition and technological changes. There is also pressure on the sector to comply with environmental regulations and adopt sustainable manufacturing practices. Despite all this, the future of the cable sector looks bright due to factors such as increasing data transmission needs, smart city projects, expansion of renewable energy systems and the proliferation of electric vehicles. These trends will create new opportunities that will drive innovation and growth in the sector. We can give electric vehicles as an example of growth drivers. While the amount of copper used in the automotive sector is 23 kilograms on average in internal combustion engines, it increases to 40 kilograms in hybrid vehicles and 83 kilograms in 100% electric vehicles. In other words, the length of copper cable used in a single car can be up to six kilometers.

In the field of innovation, liquid wiring (LCW), which is still largely in the research and development phase, is an innovative technology with unique applications especially in the electrical and electronics sectors. This technology involves the creation of electrical connections and circuits using liquid or semi-liquid conductive materials. LCW has the potential to replace traditional rigid and flexible cables and is an innovation that can be used in many areas. The development of SK technology has the potential to bring significant changes and advances to various sectors. Some of the significant effects and benefits that SK technology can offer are expressed as follows in the research:

SK technology can make flexible electronic devices and wearable technologies lighter, more flexible and more durable, and can also increase comfort and performance by adapting to body movements. In biomedical engineering, liquid wiring can be used especially in in-body implants and health monitoring devices. These devices can be made more compatible with the human body. Flexible circuits and sensors can greatly benefit from the use of liquid wiring technology. This application can revolutionize areas such as environmental monitoring, smart textiles and flexible display technologies. SK can be used in the automotive sector, especially in battery management systems and interior electronics of electric vehicles. This technology can increase performance by making in-car electrical systems more efficient and lightweight. Renewable energy systems and energy storage solutions are one of the potential areas of use of SK technology. This technology can contribute to making energy transmission and storage systems more efficient and reliable. SK can be used in the development of smart materials and structures. This technology could improve energy management in buildings and other structures, and create new types of interactive environments. Soft robotics could play a major role in the development of soft robotics. Made from flexible materials, these robots could be safer and more adaptable than traditional robots in human environments. Liquid wiring could allow for the creation of robots that can change shape or adapt to their environment. In microfluidics, it could enable the integration of electronic and fluidic components into a single device. This could enable the production of advanced lab-on-a-chip devices for medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and chemical analysis. The flexibility and potentially self-healing nature of liquid wiring could be useful in space applications where repairing wiring is difficult in harsh or remote environments. For everyday consumer electronics devices, soft wiring could enable the production of more durable, flexible, and potentially thinner and lighter devices.

As can be seen, the applications of soft wiring technology depend on factors such as the electrical properties of the material, its flexibility, durability, and biocompatibility.