Japanese Teijin DuPont Films has developed high-performance polyester film that achieves the world’s highest level of protection from ultraviolet (UV) light. The company is launching the film commercially in 2013 and is expecting to generate sales of ¥2.5 billion by 2020. Protective films for electronics materials are expected to be the primary application.

The new film incorporates the firm’s technologies for UV absorption agent, and blocks UV radiation up to 390 nm, or nearly 100% of all harmful ultraviolet light. Visible light, however, is transmitted at a rate equivalent to or greater than that of conventional films. Until now, the rate of visible light transmission has decreased as UV cut-off performance is increased in conventional films.

Unlike conventional films, the innovation does not require additional coating since UV cut-off properties are incorporated in the film itself. Since impurities generated during coating are eliminated, the new film’s production generates just one-tenth the amount of impurities compared to conventional film production, thereby helping to reduce overall costs.

UV cut-off films are used for window glass and films protecting electronics materials. The demand is expected to grow for the protection of high-performance devices such as organic electroluminescent (EL) devices, electronic paper and other next-generation devices, as well as polymer conductive materials in next-generation solar cells and organic semiconductor materials.

(PRA)

Electronic Editions 2012