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18 neWs Energy efficiency with a flat design Televisions are becoming ever flatter and more energy-saving. PLEXIGLAS® POQ66 was specially developed for these applications. The specialty product from Evonik shows particularly high light transmission combined with a low refractive index, making it the ideal material for manufacturing light guides. This makes it especially suitable for LCD televisions that have an edge-lit backlight unit. With this, LEDs feed light into a light guide plate via the edges. This provides uniform backlighting of the display. The plate is the central element of the backlight unit, and means that televisions can be made flatter and more attractive. At the same time, they save electricity because they use LEDs instead of cold-cathode tubes, and require fewer light sources than for direct backlighting. What’s more, with light guide plates made of PLEXIGLAS® POQ66, no light is lost by absorption or diffusion. “Light guide plates for this application can only be made from PMMA, because of the required material properties,” says Dr. Alexan der Laschitsch, Manager of the Optically Functional Materials Segment, Business Development at Acrylic Polymers. “Only this highly transparent material enables the manufacture of edge-lit LED backlight units, which are much more energy-efficient than elements34 Issue 1|2011 Structure of a backlight unit for LCD displays Brightness Enhancement Film (BEF) the previous technology.” This is mainly due to the material’s high transmission. Its optimal light refraction also provides high light transmission. “PLEXIGLAS® has the lowest refractive index (1.49) of all commercially avail able transparent plastics. The Fresnel reflection upon entry into the light guide plate is only 3.8 percent,” states Laschitsch. The material also has to remain transparent in the long term so as not to distort color rendition. Some plastics turn yellow over the years and the picture suffers in consequence. Diffuser Light guide (PLExIGLAS®) Housing with LED light sources Reflector As a neutral-colored material, PMMA has no negative influence on colors, and therefore provides durably natural rendition. Evonik is also testing future demands to be met by light guide plates made from PLEXIGLAS® molding compounds. “We are currently testing new structures that are to improve light output,” Laschitsch explains. “More light is required from the backlight unit especially for the new 3D televisions, which are also to save even more energy, if possible.” Technology in 3D: PPA for three-dimensional interconnect devices VESTAMID® HTplus was precisely customized for laser direct structuring, a process for manufacturing three-dimensional circuit boards, which are used for such applications as mobile phone antennas and computers LCD-Panel In VESTAMID® HTplus, Evonik Industries is offering a new-generation PPA that is customized precisely to the requirements of the laser direct structuring (LDS) process. With its outstanding heat resistance, the product is particularly suitable for use in lead-free soldering processes. VESTAMID® HTplus, which is reinforced with glass fibers and mineral fillers, is available as 50 percent bio-based PA10T, which has a particularly wide processing window and an extremely low water uptake, and as PA6T/X, which possesses a higher thermal resistance. Both grades exhibit excellent chem ical resistance. Their good process ability and excellent thermo-mechanical properties make it possible to manufacture highquality components. Laser direct structuring stands for freedom of design, miniaturization, and precision of electronic components. This technology allows to generate metallic conducting structures directly on the surface of threedimensional plastic substrates. Many applications already make use of this process, for exam ple, cell phone antennae and computers, medical devices, and automotive electronics. Manu facturing by means of injection molding ensures the greatest possible freedom of design. On the surface of the plastic part, an infrared laser beam produces a preliminary structure—as a microscopic rough surface— that corresponds to the subsequent layout of the conducting paths and also provides chemical-physical activation in this area. This activation is made possible by means of a spec ial additive in the plastic. In the subsequent metallization step, conducting paths are selectively generated that are firmly anchored to the surface.
Evonik and AU Optronics conclude strategic partnership Evonik Industries and AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) have agreed to take their successful business relationship to the next level of cooperation. Since 2008, the companies have been working together in the Evonik Forhouse Optical Polymers (EFOP) joint venture that includes the operation of a plant which produces acrylic polymers for the TFT-LCD industry. Today, they continue to pool their comprehensive expertise, focusing intensely on the growing solar, lighting, and other green energy markets. The non-exclusive agreement will focus mainly on research and development, production planning, and manufacturing. There are additional points of cooperation in such areas as PMMA re - cycl ing. Moreover, the EFOP joint venture is planning to double its PMMA capacity to about 85 kilotons. In tandem, the two are definitely a dream team: Evonik, a system solutions and mate - r ial supplier with a long-term strategy involving resource efficiency and globalization of technologies, and AUO, a globally active Protecting high-quality surfaces Surfaces made of TROGAMID® TCR microcrystalline polyamide films (Transparent, Chemical Resistant) are built tough. They stand up to sunlight, heat, and shock, not to mention cosmetics such as suntan lotion and other chemicals. Whether transparent or printed, they also have a luxurious look. Evonik Industries supplies the films in thicknesses ranging from 50 µm to 750 µm for decorating and protecting high-quality surfaces. Durable products such as cars, lavishly decorated panels, con soles, and operational controls have to retain their appearance over the entire useful life of the vehicle. Touching these surfaces often ex poses them to the detrimental effects of sweat, skin oil, and cosmetics. But even cleaning agents can damage them. Frequent temperature swings, components innovator and pacesetter in the design, development, and production of thin film transistor liquid crystal display panels (TFT-LCD). AUO generated NT$356 billion (US$11.2 billion) in sales revenue in 2009 and now houses a staff of more than 42,000 employees, with global operations in Taiwan, The chemical resistance of Evonik´s microcrystalline polyamide films is far superior to that of other transparent plastics—particularly with regard to suntan lotion and other cosmetics neWs 19 Mainland China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the U.S., and Europe. The partnership agreement between Evonik and AUO will enhance the companies’ abilities to advance into new, challenging and fast-growing business segments, in line with sustainable and re liable product and process development. Successful partnership: EFOP, the joint venture between Evonik and AUO, produces PMMA molding compounds for light-guide panels, which are built into flat screens. Because the market for flat screens is growing strongly, so is the demand for PMMA. Today, on average 2 to 2.5 kilograms of PMMA, the material the light guide panels are made of, goes into every edge-lit LED TV. There is currently no other material which is an economically viable substitute for PMMA in this application. And the demand for PMMA will continue to increase in three to four years, driven by futureoriented technologies, such as solar engineering, in which Evonik and AUO plan to collaborate closely in the future such as when a vehicle stands under the scorching sun after a cool night, take their toll, too. All of these conditions increase the likelihood of stress cracking and clouding on the surface, which prompt customer complaints and are damaging to a company’s image. Transparent TROGAMID® TCR films offer a remedy. Manufactured from colorless microcrystalline polyamide, and with far greater chemical resistance than other transparent plastics, these films are particularly resistant to suntan lotions and cosmetics. In accordance with VW test specifications, a study comparing the effects of hand and suntan lotions was conducted and confirmed these properties. In the test, the microcrystalline polyamide films were in contact with the lotions at a temperature of 80°C for 24 hours. A material passes the test when treatment does not change it noticeably and its scratch resistance remains the same as before. Only the 50 µm specialty polyamide film passed the test in all points. Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polycarbonate (PC) were tested for comparison. Crystal-clear and colorless, the microcrystalline polyamide films give designers maximum freedom in surface design and cause no color shift on back-printed designs. Resistant to weather and UV light, these top layers are non-abrasive and impart an attractive relief effect. Their scratch resistance is similar to that of uncoated films complying with the industry standard. This brings us to the color version: Evonik has developed printing inks and a process for in-mold laminating TROGAMID® TCR films in conjunction with Pröll KG (Weissenburg, Germany), a producer of industrial screen printing inks, and tool manufacturer Niebling Junior (Penzberg, Germany). elements34 Issue 1|2011
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