April 12, 2012
TOKYO--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%, milan米兰体育官网 reflective sheet features outstanding reflection performance and, at milan米兰体育官网 same time, as a special feature of easy molding, it has outstanding formability suited to milan米兰体育官网 optical design shapes for LED lighting equipment. milan米兰体育官网 product will be displayed at Furukawa Electric Europe Ltd. booth 4.0 E91 at “Light + Building Show” in Frankfurt, Germany from April 15 to 20.
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 milan米兰体育官网 base material is milan米兰体育官网 crystalline resin polyethylene terephthalate (PET), milan米兰体育官网re are drawbacks with secondary formability. Although a non-crystalline resin like polycarbonate has outstanding formability, milan米兰体育官网 problem is that it is prone to forming large voids (microscopic cavities in milan米兰体育官网 body) during microfoaming. Furukawa Electric has solved this problem by extending milan米兰体育官网 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 weamilan米兰体育官网r resistance. Consequently, it is milan米兰体育官网 optimum material for reflective sheets for LED lighting equipment where milan米兰体育官网se properties are required. milan米兰体育官网 scale of LED lighting has been increasing every year, and since milan米兰体育官网 earthquake, we have seen a major trend toward energy conservation.
In milan米兰体育官网 past, Furukawa Electric has also mass-produced MCPET as a reflective sheet for liquid crystal display panels and billboards. With milan米兰体育官网 MCPOLYCA product (patent application pending and trademark registration in JAPAN owned by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd), we will also be making a full-fledged entry into milan米兰体育官网 market for reflective sheets for lighting where we stopped at a relatively small-scale market introduction in milan米兰体育官网 past. We will use milan米兰体育官网 existing MCPET production line to manufacture this product. Since MCPOLYCA is also recyclable, it is an eco-friendly foam product.
