Resin material and preparation method therefor, optical element, and optical device

Abstract

The present invention provides a resin material and a preparation method therefor, an optical element, and an optical device. The resin material comprises a polyetherimide resin and inorganic particles, and the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the polyetherimide resin is less than or equal to 0.15. The resin material of the present invention has the advantages of a low thermal-optical coefficient and a high light transmittance.

Description

A resin material and its preparation method, optical element and optical device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411987927.9, filed on December 27, 2024, entitled "A resin material and its preparation method, optical element and optical device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of optical materials, specifically to a resin material and its preparation method, optical elements, and optical devices. Background Technology

[0003] The materials used in optical components mainly include optical glass and transparent resins. Compared to optical glass, resins offer advantages such as less demanding manufacturing processes, lower costs, and ease of integration into single optical devices, leading to their increasing application and attention. However, resins generally suffer from high thermo-optical coefficients, causing their refractive index and dimensional properties to change drastically with temperature, thus affecting their usability. Therefore, reducing the thermo-optical coefficient of resins while simultaneously improving their light transmittance remains a pressing technical challenge in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a resin material and its preparation method, optical elements and optical devices, which can reduce the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material while improving its light transmittance, effectively overcoming the defects of the prior art.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention provides a resin material comprising a resin matrix and inorganic particles, wherein the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix is ​​less than or equal to 0.15.

[0006] The resin material provided by this invention introduces inorganic particles into a resin matrix, and controls the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix to be less than or equal to 0.15. In this resin material composition system, the introduction of inorganic materials can reduce the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material and improve its stability. For example, the resin material can maintain the stability of its refractive index and dimensional properties over a wide temperature range. Simultaneously, the refractive index of the inorganic materials is close to that of the resin matrix, which can reduce the reflectivity of light passing through the resin material, thereby facilitating more light transmission and improving the light transmittance of the resin material. Therefore, this invention can reduce the thermo-optical coefficient of resin materials while simultaneously improving their light transmittance, which is of great significance for the industrial application of resin materials.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix is ​​less than or equal to 0.11, which is beneficial to further improve the light transmittance of the resin material while reducing the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the refractive index of the inorganic particles is 1.5 to 1.7. Using inorganic particles with a refractive index in the range of 1.5 to 1.7 is more conducive to compatibility with resin materials, and further balances reducing the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material and improving the light transmittance of the resin material.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the particle size D50 of the inorganic particles is 5nm to 3μm, which is beneficial to further balance the properties of reducing the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material and improving the light transmittance of the resin material.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inorganic particles include one or more of the following: calcium hydrogen phosphate, zirconium tungstate, tricalcium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, barium sulfate, calcium hydroxyphosphate, sodium sulfate, potassium chlorate, magnesium borate, calcium borate, calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate, magnesium silicate, calcium magnesium silicate, and calcium aluminate. This makes them more compatible with resin materials, reducing the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material while further improving its light transmittance.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inorganic particles in the resin material have a mass percentage content of 1% to 80%. Thus, the content of inorganic particles in the resin material is not less than 1%, which helps to reduce the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material. At the same time, the content of inorganic particles in the resin material is not more than 80%, which helps to improve the light transmittance of the resin material. It also helps to retain more resin matrix in the resin material, so that the resin material has better processing performance.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the resin matrix comprises a thermoplastic resin, which includes polyetherimide. By introducing inorganic particles into the polyetherimide, the thermo-optic coefficient of the polyetherimide can be reduced, while maintaining the light transmittance and thermoplasticity of the polyetherimide. Therefore, selecting polyetherimide is more conducive to compatibility with inorganic particles. While taking into account both reducing the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material and improving the light transmittance of the resin material, it is also more conducive to maintaining the good thermoplastic processing performance of the resin material, which is conducive to its formation into optical elements such as optical lenses through injection molding, and is more conducive to the actual industrial application of the resin material.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the polyetherimide resin has the structure shown in Formula 1:

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the resin matrix in the resin material has a mass percentage content of 20% to 99%, which is beneficial to further balance the properties of reducing the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material and improving the light transmittance of the resin material, and also gives the resin material better processing performance.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the resin material, the resin matrix and the inorganic particles exist in a physically mixed manner, which is beneficial to maintaining the processability of the resin matrix. The inorganic particles are uniformly distributed in the resin matrix, which reduces the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material while avoiding the influence on the thermoplasticity and light transmittance of the resin material.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the resin material has a melt flow index of 7 to 53 cm⁻¹ at 360°C and 10 kg. 3 / 10min, this helps to reduce the photothermal coefficient of the resin material and improve its light transmittance, while also giving the resin material more suitable fluidity and further improving its processability.

[0017] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned resin material, comprising the following steps: solution blending a raw material including the resin matrix and the inorganic particles to obtain the resin material. Introducing inorganic particles into the resin matrix through solution blending to form the resin material allows for more effective dispersion of the inorganic particles and helps to avoid cross-linking of the resin matrix in the presence of inorganic particles, as well as the resulting impact on the processability and other properties of the resin material. This allows the inorganic particles and the resin material to exist as a physical mixture, which is more conducive to maintaining the good thermoplasticity and light transmittance of the resin material.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of solution blending raw materials comprising the resin matrix and the inorganic particles to obtain the resin material specifically includes: mixing the raw materials with a good solvent, mixing the resulting mixture with a poor solvent, and performing a precipitation treatment to obtain the resin material. This process facilitates the preparation of resin materials with low thermo-optical coefficients, high light transmittance, and good processability, and improves the preparation efficiency of resin materials.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the good solvent used in the solution blending process includes one or more of dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, and dimethylacetamide, which is beneficial to further improve the preparation efficiency of resin materials.

[0020] In another aspect, the present invention provides an optical element comprising the above-described resin material or a resin material prepared according to the above-described resin material preparation method. This optical element has advantages corresponding to the above-described resin material, which will not be elaborated further.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the optical element is an optical lens. Using the aforementioned resin material to form the optical lens can improve its optical properties, such as transparency and refractive index.

[0022] In another aspect, the present invention provides an optical device including the aforementioned optical elements, which has advantages corresponding to the aforementioned resin material, and will not be elaborated further. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below. The specific embodiments listed below are merely descriptions of the principles and features of the present invention, and the examples are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Optical components are primarily made of optical glass and transparent resins. Compared to optical glass, resins offer advantages such as less demanding manufacturing processes, lower costs, and ease of integration into single optical devices, leading to their increasing application and attention. However, resins generally suffer from a high thermo-optic coefficient, causing their refractive index and dimensional properties to change drastically with temperature, thus affecting their usability. Therefore, reducing the thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) of resins while simultaneously improving their transmittance remains a pressing technical challenge in this field.

[0025] For example, the optical communication industry has had a profound impact on the economy, promoting the informatization of society, improving the speed and efficiency of information transmission, facilitating the development and popularization of the Internet, strengthening the security of communication networks, and bringing huge economic benefits. With the deployment of 5G and future 6G networks, the demand for optical communication systems will increase dramatically, driving the continuous upgrading of fiber optic broadband technology, including spatial division multiplexing, improved spectral efficiency, and the application of more advanced modulation and coding technologies. The future of the optical communication industry will move towards ultra-high speed, large capacity, long-distance transmission, and low cost.

[0026] Optical modules are the most important optical devices and the core of the optical communication industry. Among them, optical lenses are the core components used to control the optical path, determining the optical information transmission performance of the optical module. Currently, optical lenses are mainly made of optical glass. Optical glass has high transparency and refractive index, providing excellent optical performance. It also possesses good chemical and thermal stability, is not easily deformed or aged, and can maintain stable optical performance over a long period. However, the conditions for manufacturing optical lenses using optical glass are demanding, typically requiring temperatures as high as 1600 degrees Celsius, resulting in high costs, long manufacturing times, assembly difficulties, and challenges in device integration, thus limiting its industrial application. Compared to optical glass, resin materials have advantages such as less demanding manufacturing processes, lower costs, and ease of forming integrated optical devices, and are gradually gaining widespread application and attention.

[0027] For example, polyetherimide (PEI) is a special engineering plastic made of amorphous polyetherimide. It has high temperature resistance and dimensional stability. PEI resin has been widely used in the manufacture of optical lenses for optical modules. Compared with aspherical glass lenses, PEI has greater design freedom, supports high-volume and rapid production, and does not require secondary grinding and polishing. In terms of performance, PEI resin has high near-infrared transmittance (transmittance of over 80% in the wavelength range of 850-1550 nm), high refractive index, and excellent dimensional stability over a wide temperature range (-40℃ to 85℃), which helps to ensure alignment with single-mode optical fibers.

[0028] However, existing resin materials have high thermo-optic coefficients. For example, the thermo-optic coefficient of commercial PEI resin (TOC: 107ppm / K) is too high compared to glass (TOC: 3ppm / K). The refractive index and size change drastically with temperature over a wide temperature range, which affects the matching of the lens's refractive index with the lens barrel.

[0029] According to the inventors' research, modifying the chemical structure of the monomers used to form the resin material, or adding inorganic fillers, can reduce the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material to some extent. However, these methods affect the processability and light transmittance of the resin material, thus impacting its usability. For example, monomer chemical structure modification has a limited effect on reducing the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material and increases its cost. It also affects the processing performance of the resin material. For thermoplastic resins such as PEI, monomer chemical structure modification significantly affects the thermoplastic properties of the thermoplastic material, hindering its injection molding process. Furthermore, the reduction in the thermo-optical coefficient is limited, and the manufacturing cost of the resin material increases. In contrast, adding inorganic fillers to the resin material avoids monomer modification, but it affects the light transmittance (e.g., the transmittance of 1550nm light). Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a resin material that combines low thermo-optical coefficient and high transmittance.

[0030] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a resin material comprising a resin matrix and inorganic particles, wherein the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix is ​​less than or equal to 0.15.

[0031] According to the inventors' research, by introducing inorganic particles into a resin matrix and ensuring that the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix is ​​less than or equal to 0.15, the introduction of inorganic materials into such a resin material composition system can reduce the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material and improve its stability. For example, the resin material can maintain the stability of its refractive index and dimensional properties over a wide temperature range. Simultaneously, the refractive index of the inorganic materials is close to that of the resin matrix, which can reduce the reflectivity when light passes through the resin material, thereby facilitating more light transmission and improving the light transmittance of the resin material. Therefore, the resin material provided by the embodiments of this invention possesses both low thermo-optical coefficient and high light transmittance, and can be applied to optical component materials in the field of communication, such as materials for optical lenses.

[0032] Specifically, the refractive index of the inorganic particles can be greater than, equal to, or less than the refractive index of the resin matrix. That is, the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix can be less than or equal to 0.15, or the difference between the refractive index of the resin matrix and the refractive index of the inorganic particles can be less than or equal to 0.15.

[0033] For example, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix may be less than or equal to 0.15, or less than or equal to 0.13, or less than or equal to 0.11, or less than or equal to 0.09, or less than or equal to 0.07, or less than or equal to 0.05, or less than or equal to 0.03, or fall within the range of any two of the aforementioned values.

[0034] Specifically, the resin matrix is ​​a transparent resin with a light transmittance of 80% or higher.

[0035] In this embodiment of the invention, the resin matrix may include a thermoplastic resin. By introducing inorganic particles into the thermoplastic resin and ensuring that the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the thermoplastic resin is less than or equal to 0.15, the thermo-optic coefficient of the thermoplastic resin can be reduced while simultaneously improving its light transmittance, and the thermoplasticity of the resin material can be maintained. This provides a resin material (injection molding material) that combines low thermo-optic coefficient, high light transmittance, and thermoplastic processing capability.

[0036] In some embodiments, the thermoplastic resin includes polyetherimide (PEI). According to the inventors' research, by introducing inorganic particles into PEI, the thermo-optic coefficient of PEI can be reduced while maintaining its light transmittance and thermoplasticity. Therefore, PEI is chosen because it is more compatible with inorganic particles, which, while reducing the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material and increasing its light transmittance, also helps maintain the resin material's good thermoplastic processing properties. This facilitates the formation of optical components such as optical lenses through injection molding, and is more conducive to practical industrial applications.

[0037] In addition, PEI can be used for injection molding and extrusion molding, and it is easier to join with materials such as adhesives through welding and other methods. It also has good melt flowability. Therefore, using PEI as a resin matrix is ​​more conducive to the processing performance of resin materials. For example, it is more conducive to the formation of optical components such as optical lenses with more complex shapes through injection molding.

[0038] In some embodiments, the polyetherimide resin has the structure shown in Formula 1 (repeating unit):

[0039] In this embodiment of the invention, the resin matrix can be obtained by conventional methods in the art, such as commercially available or self-made using conventional methods in the art. For example, PEI may include Ultem1010, which is an amorphous transparent PEI resin. Specifically, it can be prepared by heating and polycondensing 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether or m-(or p-)phenylenediamine with 2,2′-bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride in dimethylacetamide solvent, followed by powdering and imidization. The preparation steps involved are all conventional operations, and this embodiment of the invention does not impose any particular limitations on them.

[0040] In some embodiments, the particle size D50 of the inorganic particles can be 5nm to 3μm, for example, a range of 5nm, 10nm, 50nm, 100nm, 300nm, 500nm, 800nm, 1μm, 1.5μm, 2μm, 2.5μm, 3μm or any combination thereof, which is beneficial for further balancing the reduction of the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material and the improvement of the light transmittance of the resin material.

[0041] In this embodiment of the invention, the particle size D50 of the inorganic particles can be measured using a laser particle size analyzer. Specifically, inorganic particles can be separated from resin materials or optical elements formed from resin materials using conventional methods in the art, and then their particle size D50 can be measured using a laser particle size analyzer. For example, an optical element (or optical device) formed from resin materials can be dispersed in a solvent (where the resin matrix is ​​dissolved in the solvent) to form a suspension containing inorganic particles, and then the particle size D50 of the inorganic particles can be measured using a laser particle size analyzer. The solvent used can specifically be N-methyl ketone.

[0042] In some embodiments, the refractive index of the inorganic particles can be 1.5 to 1.7, for example, a range of 1.5, 1.53, 1.55, 1.58, 1.6, 1.63, 1.65, 1.68, 1.7, or any combination thereof. Selecting inorganic particles with a refractive index in the range of 1.5 to 1.7 is more conducive to compatibility with resin materials, reducing the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material while further improving its light transmittance.

[0043] Specifically, inorganic particles may include metal salts, and the metal elements in the metal salts may include one or more of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and transition metals.

[0044] In some embodiments, the inorganic particles include one or more of the following: calcium hydrogen phosphate, zirconium tungstate, tricalcium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, barium sulfate, calcium hydroxyphosphate, sodium sulfate, potassium chlorate, magnesium borate, calcium borate, calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate, magnesium silicate, calcium magnesium silicate, and calcium aluminate. These inorganic particles are more compatible with resin materials, reducing the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material while further improving its light transmittance. In particular, when the resin material includes PEI, these inorganic particles are more compatible with PEI, reducing the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material and improving its light transmittance while maintaining better thermoplasticity.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, the particle size of inorganic particles can be controlled by conventional methods in the art, such as forming inorganic particles of a preset particle size by grinding, and there are no particular limitations on this.

[0046] In some embodiments, the mass percentage of inorganic particles in the resin material (i.e., the mass ratio of inorganic particles to the resin material) is 1% to 80%, for example, a range consisting of 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, or any combination thereof. Thus, the content of inorganic particles in the resin material is not less than 1%, which helps to reduce the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material. At the same time, the content of inorganic particles in the resin material is not higher than 80%, which helps to improve the light transmittance of the resin material and also helps to retain more resin matrix, giving the resin material better processing performance.

[0047] In some embodiments, the resin matrix in the resin material has a mass percentage content of 20% to 99%, for example, a range of 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 99%, or any combination thereof. This is beneficial for further balancing the reduction of the thermo-optical coefficient of the resin material and the improvement of the light transmittance of the resin material, and also for giving the resin material better processing performance.

[0048] In this embodiment of the invention, the components such as the resin matrix and inorganic particles contained in the resin material, as well as the mass ratio of each component and the structural characteristics of the resin matrix, can be analyzed by analytical methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

[0049] In some embodiments, the melt flow index of the resin material at 360°C and 10 kg can be 7–53 cm⁻¹. 3 / 10min, for example, 7cm 3 / 10min, 10cm 3 / 10min, 15cm 3 / 10min, 20cm 3 / 10min, 25cm 3 / 10min, 30cm 3 / 10min, 35cm 3 / 10min, 40cm 3 / 10min, 45cm 3 / 10min, 50cm 3 / 10min, 53cm 3 A range of 10 min or any two thereof is beneficial for reducing the photothermal coefficient of the resin material and improving its light transmittance, while also ensuring that the resin material has suitable fluidity and further improving its processability.

[0050] In this embodiment of the invention, the melt index of the resin material at 360°C and 10kg can be measured using a melt indexer according to the ASTM D1238 standard (i.e., the melt index measured at 360°C and under a pressure of 10kg).

[0051] In this embodiment of the invention, the resin matrix and inorganic particles can exist in a physically mixed manner in the resin material, that is, the resin matrix and inorganic particles do not have covalent bonds or other chemical bonds (i.e., the resin matrix and inorganic particles are not connected by covalent bonds or other chemical bonds), which is beneficial to maintaining the processability of the resin matrix. The inorganic particles are uniformly distributed in the resin matrix, which reduces the thermo-optic coefficient of the resin material and avoids affecting the thermoplasticity and light transmittance of the resin material.

[0052] Specifically, the resin material of this invention can be prepared by solution blending. Specifically, the resin matrix and inorganic particles are mixed uniformly in a good solvent, and then a poor solvent is added for precipitation. The resulting precipitate is then dried to obtain the resin material. Compared to melt blending, solution blending introduces inorganic particles into the resin matrix to form the resin material. This method can more effectively disperse the inorganic particles and better avoid cross-linking of the resin matrix in the presence of inorganic particles, thus preventing the impact on the processability and other properties of the resin material. This allows the inorganic particles and resin material to exist as a physical mixture, which is more conducive to maintaining the good thermoplasticity and light transmittance of the resin material.

[0053] This invention also provides a method for preparing a resin material, comprising the following steps: solution blending of raw materials including a resin matrix and inorganic particles to obtain a resin material.

[0054] In some embodiments, a resin material is prepared by solution blending of raw materials comprising a resin matrix and inorganic particles. Specifically, this includes: mixing the raw materials with a good solvent, mixing the resulting mixture with a poor solvent, and performing a precipitation treatment to obtain the resin material.

[0055] In this embodiment of the invention, a good solvent (or simply solvent) is capable of dissolving the resin matrix. In some embodiments, the good solvent used in the solution blending process includes one or more of dimethylformamide (DMF), N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), and dimethylacetamide (DMAC). These solvents have good solubility for the resin matrix, especially for PEI, thereby facilitating the preparation of the resin material and improving the preparation efficiency of the resin material.

[0056] In some embodiments, the unsuitable solvent may include water and / or alcohol solvents, specifically ethanol.

[0057] In practice, the resin matrix can be placed in a good solvent and dissolved by stirring. Then, inorganic particles are added and mixed evenly by stirring and sonication. The resulting mixture is then added to a poor solvent (i.e., the mixture is mixed with the poor solvent). Specifically, the mixture can be added dropwise to the poor solvent for precipitation. During precipitation, the solute in the mixture is essentially insoluble in the poor solvent and will precipitate out. The precipitated product is collected, dried, and the resin material (in powder form) is obtained. Subsequently, the resin material can be processed into components of a predetermined shape using conventional processing methods, such as hot pressing to form hot-pressed parts or injection molding to form optical lenses and other components of a predetermined shape. All processing steps involved are conventional operations in this field and are not particularly limited thereto.

[0058] This invention also provides an optical element comprising the above-described resin material or a resin material prepared according to the above-described resin material preparation method. This optical element has advantages corresponding to the above-described resin material, which will not be elaborated further.

[0059] Specifically, the aforementioned optical components can be injection molded parts, which can be manufactured through injection molding.

[0060] In some embodiments, the optical element described above may be an optical lens, specifically an optical lens applied inside an optical communication module, and may be presented as a complex structure formed by injection molding.

[0061] This invention also provides an optical device including the above-described optical elements. This optical device has advantages corresponding to the above-described resin material, which will not be described in detail here.

[0062] The optical device in this embodiment of the invention can be a conventional optical device in the art, such as an optical communication device.

[0063] The present invention will be further described below through specific embodiments.

[0064] In the following embodiments, unless otherwise specified, the Ultem1010 (which has the structure shown in Formula 1) used is commercially available PEI with a refractive index of 1.61 and a transmittance of more than 80%.

[0065] In the following examples and comparative examples, the thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) was tested using a SPA-4000 prism coupler. The test conditions were: the pressure of the sample was 0.25 kPa, the test temperature range was 40℃-120℃, and one point was tested for every 10℃ increase in temperature.

[0066] Example 1

[0067] The resin material in Example 1 is composed of polyetherimide resin (Ultem1010) and inorganic particles in a mass ratio of 60:40; wherein the inorganic particles are calcium carbonate with a refractive index n = 1.58 and a particle size D50 of 5 nm.

[0068] The resin material in Example 1 was prepared by solution blending, wherein the polyetherimide resin and inorganic particles exist in a physically mixed form. The specific preparation process of the resin material and the hot-pressed part formed from the resin material is as follows:

[0069] S1. Dissolve 15g of Ultem1010 in 100mL of NMP (a good solvent) by stirring for 5h. Then add calcium carbonate and stir for another 1h. Then sonicate for 1h to mix the components evenly to obtain a mixture. Pour the mixture into ethanol (a poor solvent), collect the precipitate, and dry it at 230℃ for 12h. The dried powder is the resin material (i.e., the resin nanofiller composition).

[0070] S2. Take 5g of resin material and place it into a stainless steel mold (external dimensions: 2cm x 2cm x 1mm; central hollow dimensions: 2cm x 2cm x 1mm). Heat and press it in a hot press at 360℃ for 30 minutes. After cooling, remove it to obtain a hot-pressed part with dimensions of 2cm x 2cm x 1mm (i.e., the length of the hot-pressed part is 2cm, the width is 2cm, and the thickness is 1mm).

[0071] Samples were taken from the resin material obtained in step S1, and the melt flow index of the resin material was tested. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0072] In addition, the TOC and transmittance (1550nm light transmittance) of the hot-pressed part obtained in step S2 were tested, and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0073] Examples 2 to 17, and Comparative Example 2: The difference from Example 1 is that the mass ratio of polyetherimide resin (PEI) to inorganic particles, the type of inorganic particles, the refractive index of inorganic particles, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of inorganic particles and the refractive index of PEI, and the particle size D50 of inorganic particles are different, as detailed in Table 1. Except for the differences shown in Table 1, the other conditions are the same.

[0074] The difference between Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 is that the resin material used in Comparative Example 1 is only polyetherimide resin (Ultem1010) without the addition of inorganic particles. The preparation process of this resin material is as follows: 10g of Ultem1010 was weighed for melt flow index testing; subsequently, another 5g of Ultem1010 resin was placed in a stainless steel mold (external dimensions: 2cm x 2cm x 1mm; central cutout dimensions: 2cm x 2cm x 1mm), and hot-pressed at 360℃ for 30min in a hot press. After cooling, the hot-pressed part was obtained, with dimensions of 2cm x 2cm x 1mm (i.e., the length, width, and thickness of the hot-pressed part are 2cm). The TOC and transmittance (1550nm light transmittance) of the hot-pressed part were tested, and the results are shown in Table 1. The remaining conditions of Comparative Example 1 were the same as those of Example 1.

[0075] Table 1

[0076] As shown in Table 1, compared to Comparative Examples 1 to 3, Examples 1 to 17, by introducing inorganic particles into the resin matrix and ensuring that the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix is ​​less than or equal to 0.11, can reduce the thermo-optical coefficient of the resulting resin material while maintaining high light transmittance and thermoplasticity. Specifically, the melt index of the resin material ranges from 7.2 to 52.9 cm⁻¹. 3 It has good thermoplastic processability within 10 minutes, and the TOC of the hot-pressed parts formed from the resin material does not exceed 103ppm / ℃, and the light transmittance at 1550nm is not less than 65%.

[0077] Further, as seen in Examples 1 to 17, the amount of inorganic particles added, their refractive index, and particle size affect the thermoplasticity (melt index), transmittance, and TOC of the resin material. Specifically, the closer the refractive index of the inorganic nanoparticle filler is to Ultem 1010, the higher the transmittance of the resin material. With the addition of more inorganic nanoparticle fillers, the TOC of the resin material tends to decrease. However, excessive addition of inorganic particles can also affect the thermoplasticity and transmittance of the resin material to some extent. Smaller particle sizes of inorganic particles result in higher transmittance. Therefore, by further controlling the content, refractive index, and particle size of inorganic particles in the resin material, the TOC, transmittance, and thermoplasticity of the resin material can be further improved.

[0078] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A resin material, characterized by, It includes a resin matrix and inorganic particles, wherein the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix is ​​less than or equal to 0.

15.

2. The resin material according to claim 1, characterized by The absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the inorganic particles and the refractive index of the resin matrix is ​​less than or equal to 0.

11.

3. The resin material according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by The refractive index of the inorganic particles is 1.5 to 1.

7.

4. The resin material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by, The particle size D50 of the inorganic particles is 5 nm to 3 μm.

5. The resin material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The inorganic particles include one or more of the following: calcium hydrogen phosphate, zirconium tungstate, tricalcium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, barium sulfate, calcium hydroxyphosphate, sodium sulfate, potassium chlorate, magnesium borate, calcium borate, calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate, magnesium silicate, calcium magnesium silicate, and calcium aluminate.

6. The resin material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by, In the resin material, the inorganic particles have a mass percentage content of 1% to 80%.

7. The resin material according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The resin matrix includes a thermoplastic resin, and the thermoplastic resin includes polyetherimide.

8. The resin material according to claim 7, characterized in that, The polyetherimide resin has the structure shown in Formula 1:

9. The resin material according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, In the resin material, the mass percentage of the resin matrix is ​​20% to 99%.

10. The resin material according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, In the resin material, the resin matrix and the inorganic particles exist in a physically mixed manner.

11. The resin material according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The resin material has a melt index of 7 to 53 cm3 / g at 360°C under 10 kg 3 / 10 min.

12. A method for preparing the resin material according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: solution blending of raw materials comprising the resin matrix and the inorganic particles to obtain the resin material.

13. The method for preparing the resin material according to claim 12, characterized in that, The step of preparing the resin material by solution blending of raw materials including the resin matrix and the inorganic particles specifically includes: mixing the raw materials with a good solvent, mixing the resulting mixture with a poor solvent and performing a precipitation treatment to obtain the resin material.

14. The method for preparing the resin material according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The good solvents used in the solution blending process include one or more of dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, and dimethylacetamide.

15. An optical element, characterized in that, Includes the resin material according to any one of claims 1-11 or the resin material prepared according to the method of preparing the resin material according to any one of claims 12-14.

16. The optical element according to claim 15, characterized in that, The optical element is an optical lens.

17. An optical device, characterized in that, Includes the optical element as described in claim 15 or 16.

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