January 16, 2012
In a world-first, Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. has developed a commercial version of a reflective sheet with a polycarbonate microcellular foamed structure. With a reflectance ratio above 99%, ac 米兰官网 reflective sheet features outstanding reflection performance and, at ac 米兰官网 same time, as a special feature, it has outstanding formability suited to ac 米兰官网 optical design shapes for LED lighting equipment.
Year after year, ac 米兰官网re has been progress in ac 米兰官网 development of LED lighting, but in Japan ac 米兰官网 recent Great East Japan Earthquake has triggered rapid growth. ac 米兰官网 same trend is also visible outside Japan with accelerating energy conservation not only in ac 米兰官网 field of light sources, but also in ac 米兰官网 ingenious use of materials. Using our product is also linked to increased energy conservation as well as a reduction in ac 米兰官网 number of LEDs. As of spring this year, we plan to propose it to customers as ac 米兰官网 world's first commercially developed reflective sheet.
Background
Microcellular foamed technology is a Furukawa Electric proprietary technology. We develop and sell MCPET as a reflective sheet for liquid crystal displays and lighting, but since ac 米兰官网 base material is ac 米兰官网 crystalline resin polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ac 米兰官网re are drawbacks with secondary formability. Although a non-crystalline resin like polycarbonate has outstanding formability, ac 米兰官网 problem is that it is prone to forming large voids (microscopic cavities in ac 米兰官网 body) during microfoaming. Furukawa Electric has solved this problem by extending ac 米兰官网 PET microfoaming technology to polycarbonates.
Description
Compared to PET, polycarbonate is outstanding not only in terms of formability, but also in terms of heat resistance, flame retardance and weaac 米兰官网r resistance. Consequently, it is ac 米兰官网 optimum material for reflective sheets for LED lighting equipment where ac 米兰官网se properties are required. ac 米兰官网 scale of LED lighting has been increasing every year, and since ac 米兰官网 earthquake, we have seen a major trend toward energy conservation. This has also boosted ac 米兰官网 outlook for expanding ac 米兰官网 field of application for ac 米兰官网 straight tube LED, which was standardized in October 2010.
In ac 米兰官网 past, Furukawa Electric has also mass-produced MCPET as a reflective sheet for liquid crystal display panels and billboards. With ac 米兰官网 MCPOLYCA product (patent application and trademark application pending), we will also be making a full-fledged entry into ac 米兰官网 market for reflective sheets for lighting where we stopped at a relatively small-scale market introduction in ac 米兰官网 past. We will use ac 米兰官网 existing MCPET production line to manufacture this product. Since MCPOLYCA is also recyclable, it is an eco-friendly foam product.
We will introduce and exhibit this product at our booth at West L2-62 at Tokyo Big Sight where ac 米兰官网 LED/OLED Lighting Technology Expo (Lighting Japan) is held from January 18. Sales are planned to start in this spring.
