1

Variable Light Transmittance Glazing (VLTG)

csv

Charles S. VoeltzelCreative Solutions: Verre

Consultants to the Glass Industry

2

Overviewy What is VLTG?y Benefitsy Technology

8 Electrochromic8 Field Effect

8 PDLC8 SPD

y Commercial Applications

PPG Proprietary

3

What is VLTG?y Glazing in which the amount of light being

transmitted can be dynamically controlled.y Most basic form

8 Shutters, shades

y Holy Grail8 Vary the light transmittance of transparency itself8 Difficult to meet Automotive Requirements

8 Durability8 Safety8 Price8 Part size & contour

PPG Proprietary

4

Benefitsy Light Control

8 Ability to control transmittance, from very clear to very dark

8 privacy glazing: 20%.

8 Privacy or vision on demand. 8 Able to enjoy all lighting conditions8 Elimination of mechanical shades

y WOW factor

PPG Proprietary

5

y Laminated Construction8 Break in protection: smash & grab8 Rejects most of the sun’s UV rays8 Occupant retention potential

8 Framed

8 Relatively low cost to add:8 Sound deadening interlay8 Heat reflecting coating

8 Increased comfort & mileage

Benefits

PPG Proprietary

6

Electrochromic

y Ion exchange8 Oxidation or Reduction

y Organic and Inorganicy Low voltage/current DC

8 Only needed to change state

y Minutes to changey Non-uniform switching

8 Deposition of EC material8 Current density

PPG Proprietary

7

y Gentex 8 Introduced the auto-dimming rear-view mirrors in 1987. 8 2007,14 million auto-dimming rear-view mirrors 8 80% of the world market

y EC dyes in a gel are sandwiched between two conductive substrates.

y When a low DC voltage is applied, the material darkens or lightens, depending upon the polarity.

y Boeing 787 Dreamliner. 8 Electrochromic panel 8 Cabin windows are largest of any commercial aircraft in the world. 8 Five levels of tint. 8 Controlled by passenger and crew. 8 Production started in 2007.

Electrochromic

8

Electrochromic

http://www.gesimat.de

y Gesimat GmbH, Berlin, Germany

y Small startupy Complimentary EC layers

y Oxidation and Reductiony Darkery Faster

y ION conductive polymery Standard laminate construction

9

Field EffectSPD & PDLCy Different active components, similar

construction.y Active component mixed in a carrier.y Small droplets of carrier suspended in a

polymer matrixy Matrix encapsulated between two sheets of

conductive oxide coated plastic.y Sheet is laminated between two pieces of

glass.

10

Suspended Particle Devices (SPD)

Field Effecty Rod shaped particles act as “light valves”

8 Particles align with electrical field.8 Requires 120VAC

Dark in the unpowered stateSwitches in secondsWide range of transmittance: 1% - 60%

11

y Research Frontiers Inc.8 Over 500 patents and applications8 Licensees include several large

automotive OEM glass companies.8 Asahi Glass Company8 AGC Automotive Americas8 Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd8 Pilkington plc8 Pittsburgh Glass Works8 Saint-Gobain Glass France S.A.

Suspended Particle Devices (SPD)

12

Field EffectInvented at Kent State University in 1983y Light scattering vs. darkening

8 Requires 120VAC8 Privacy vs. light control

Opaque in the unpowered state.8 Milky white color

Switches in seconds

Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC)

13

Glass

Glass

Interlayer

Interlayer

PET

PET

TCO

On-State:y Liquid Crystal

molecules align parallel to electric field

y No scattering of normally incident light

y Transparent appearance

Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC)

ITO Conductive Coating

14

Glass

Glass

Interlayer

Interlayer

PET

PET

ITO Conductive Coating

Off-Statey LC molecules are in

random orientation

y Incident light scattered

y Opaque privacy appearance

Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC)

15

PDLC

PPG Proprietary

16

Commercial Implementations of Switchable Automotive Transparencies

Maybach

17

Gentex

Commercial Implementations of VLTG

18

Ferrari SuperAmerica

Only high cost niche applications to datePPG Proprietary

Commercial Implementations of VLTG

19

Hino Motors (Toyota), Ltd., S’elega Premium

Commercial Implementations of VLTG

20

American Glass Products (AGP Group), Columbia

Isoclima, Italy

Aftermarket SPD & PDLC Parts

Commercial Implementations of VLTG

21

Conclusions

VLTG use is growing.Still a super premium automotive niche

product.