Bayer MaterialScience unveils polycarbonate film with shining edges

10-Mar-09

Bayer MaterialScience AG has unveiled Makrofol® LISA polycarbonate film which it says will provide designers with enormous scope for creating plastic parts with a highly unusual and very striking colored light around the edges. The transparent film collects incident light, conveys it to the edges and allows it to emerge there, shining brightly. Molded parts thus exhibit a clearly visible edge lighting that emphasizes their contours. Potential applications include business cards, posters, traffic signs, presentation screens, fashion accessories and labels for sportswear such as ski clothing. "Our light-emitting film could also be used to design components for lamps, as well as frames, beading strips and facings for cupboards and chairs," says Norbert Kinzel, head of the Films Unit in the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties Business Unit. According to the company, the light-collecting film, available in green, orange and red, has all the properties that standard Makrofol® films have - high heat resistance, toughness and elasticity over a broad temperature range as well as good electrical insulation properties. It can be molded hot or cold, and can also be back-injected and stiffened with a thermoplastic using the Film Insert Molding (FIM) technique and be readily printed with standard inks, for example by screen printing or digital printing. Bayer MaterialScience has appointed Vink Holding B.V., a Dutch company as a distribution partner for the Makrofol® LISA business.