Silicone Spacer Particles for High-Temperature Gap Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional resin particles used as spacers in dimmer laminates are prone to crushing or thermal expansion in high-temperature environments, leading to thickness unevenness and transmittance variation, while inorganic particles can damage the base material and cause liquid crystal misalignment.
Innovation Solution
Silicone particles with specific filler ratios and properties, such as a 10% K value ratio of 0.90 or more at 90°C to 25°C, are used to maintain accurate gap control and prevent base material scratching, even in high-temperature conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional resin particles are used as spacers, then the dimmer laminate can be manufactured with simple materials, but the gap control accuracy deteriorates in high-temperature environments due to thermal expansion and crushing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite spacer particles comprising a resin particle core coated with an inorganic substance layer. This composite structure combines the ease of resin particle processing with the high-temperature stability of inorganic materials, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and gap control accuracy at elevated temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the spacer particles by controlling the core particle size (5-20 μm) and applying specific inorganic coatings. These parameter changes enable the particles to maintain dimensional stability and resist crushing at high temperatures while preserving manufacturing feasibility.
2Manufacturing precision
If inorganic particles are used as spacers to improve gap control, then the gap control accuracy improves, but the base material gets damaged due to particle hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure with a soft resin core and thin inorganic coating provides a solution where the inorganic layer delivers gap control precision while the resin core prevents excessive hardness that would damage the base material. This resolves the contradiction between precision and harm prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The inorganic coating is applied as a thin layer (1-10 nm) on the surface of the resin particle, providing local precision enhancement at the contact interface while the bulk resin material maintains softness to prevent base material damage. This local quality differentiation resolves the hardness contradiction.
3Ease of manufacture
If resin particles are used as spacers, then the manufacturing process remains simple, but transmittance uniformity deteriorates due to thickness unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
The inorganic coating on the resin particle core provides a uniform, stable surface that prevents deformation and crushing, ensuring consistent particle dimensions throughout the dimming layer. This maintains both manufacturing simplicity and transmittance uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
By controlling the core particle size distribution (5-20 μm) and applying uniform inorganic coatings, the invention achieves consistent particle dimensions that prevent thickness unevenness in the dimming layer, thereby ensuring uniform transmittance while maintaining simple processing.
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 silicone particles effectively control the gap between base materials with high accuracy, reducing transmittance variation and minimizing base material damage, even in extreme temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
the ratio of a 10% K value at 90°C to the 10% K value at 25°C is 0.90 or more
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a silicone particle capable of controlling a gap between base materials with high accuracy even in a high-temperature environment, suppressing a variation in transmittance of a resulting dimmer laminate, and suppressing scratching of the base material. The silicone particle according to the present invention includes a silicone particle body and a plurality of fillers, at least one of the plurality of fillers is present inside the silicone particle body, and a ratio of a 10% K value at 90°C to the 10% K value at 25°C is 0.90 or more.