Light Emitting Diodes (LED) have been increasingly used in general illumination due to their superior energy efficiency. LED-based systems are currently contributing to around 20% of sales of the lighting products worldwide with the forecast to exceed 70% by 2020. (McKinsey and Co., Inc., 2011). In contrast to traditional light sources, LED are characterized by extensive use of polymers, and novel materials with improved properties are required to meet the demands of this new growing technology. Here we report our evaluation of polycyclic polysiloxanes, a class of thermoset polymers comprised of interconnected small siloxane cycles (for example, cyclotetrasiloxanes). This material demonstrates high thermal stability, exceeding that of linear polysiloxanes, as well as superior fire stability. In addition, this polymer is optically transparent, resistant to blue radiation, and exhibits good gas barrier properties. This combination of properties makes polycyclic polysiloxane ideal for encapsulation of high power LED packages for lighting applications. At the same time, the material exhibits a number of shortcomings, and extensive work is required to bring this class of polymers to the market.

Polycyclic polysiloxanes as optical polymers for LED applications

247th National Meeting (2014)

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