Poly(meth)acrylimide Film for Touch Panel Face Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current materials for touch panel display face plates and transparent conductive substrates, such as glass, face issues with impact resistance, processability, and heat resistance, while alternatives like hard coat-laminated films from transparent resin films lack sufficient heat resistance and dimensional stability, limiting their use in forming thin film transistors.
Innovation Solution
A poly(meth)acrylimide film with high total light transmittance, low haze, and low retardation, combined with an easily-adhesive surface and a hard coat, is produced using a method involving extrusion and surface treatment to enhance surface smoothness, transparency, and adhesive strength, suitable for use in touch panel display face plates and transparent conductive substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If glass is used as base material for touch panel display face plates and transparent conductive substrates, then heat resistance and dimensional stability are improved, but impact resistance deteriorates and processability becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameters by developing a poly(meth)acrylimide resin with specific molecular structure and properties, achieving a balance between heat resistance (maintaining dimensional stability up to 200°C) and impact resistance (higher than glass), thereby resolving the contradiction between these two properties
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structure by combining poly(meth)acrylimide resin with specific additives and forming it into a laminated film structure, achieving both the heat resistance of traditional glass and the impact resistance of polymer materials
2Illumination intensity
If glass is used as base material, then high transparency and high surface hardness are improved, but processability and ease of handling deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material state from rigid glass to thermoplastic poly(meth)acrylimide resin, which maintains high transparency (total light transmittance 85% or more) while enabling easy processing through melting and molding operations, thus improving processability without sacrificing transparency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention forms the resin into thin film structures that can be easily handled and processed, replacing bulky glass substrates while maintaining optical properties and enabling flexible manufacturing processes
3Stability of the object's composition
If glass is used as base material, then high rigidity is improved, but weight increases and adaptability to face curving deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material density parameter by using poly(meth)acrylimide resin with lower specific gravity than glass, achieving weight reduction while maintaining sufficient rigidity through optimized film structure and crosslinking
4Ease of manufacture
If transparent resin film base material is used instead of glass, then processability and ease of handling are improved, but heat resistance and dimensional stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the thermal parameters of the resin by selecting poly(meth)acrylimide with high glass transition temperature and maintaining dimensional stability up to 200°C, thus achieving both ease of processing and sufficient heat resistance for TFT formation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary thermal treatment and crosslinking of the poly(meth)acrylimide resin to enhance its heat resistance before subsequent processing steps, enabling the material to withstand high-temperature TFT fabrication processes
5Ease of manufacture
If conventional T-die extrusion method is used to produce poly(meth)acrylimide film, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but surface smoothness and transparency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary surface treatment of the extruded film by passing it between mirror-finished rollers before final cooling and solidification, thereby achieving excellent surface smoothness and transparency while maintaining the simplicity of the extrusion process
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces mirror-finished rollers as an intermediary element between the extrusion die and the final product, which transfers their smooth surface characteristics to the poly(meth)acrylimide film, improving surface quality without complicating the manufacturing process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The poly(meth)acrylimide film achieves excellent surface smoothness, transparency, and adhesive strength, making it suitable for use in touch panel display face plates and transparent conductive substrates, overcoming the limitations of existing materials by providing improved heat resistance and dimensional stability.
Implementation Method 1
a total light transmittance of higher than 90% and a haze of 2.0% or lower
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate to a poly(meth)acrylimide film and a method for manufacturing such a film. At least one embodiment provides a poly(meth)acrylimide film that has (i) a total light transmittance of over 90% and (ii) haze of 2.0% or less. This film preferably has retardation of less than 50 nm. The method for manufacturing this film includes the following steps: (A) using a device provided with an extruder and a T die, a poly(meth)acrylimide molten film is continuously extruded from the T die; and (B) the poly(meth)acrylimide molten film is loaded by being fed between a rotating or circulating first mirrored-surface body and a rotating or circulating second mirrored-surface body, and then the film is pressed. During these steps, (C) the surface temperature of the first mirrored-surface body is in the range 100-200° C., and (D) the surface temperature of the second mirrored-surface body is in the range 20-200° C.