Innovative manufacturers of lighting systems have discovered that using silicone in LED lighting addresses the challenges related to less light and changing colour temperature
Monday, December 10, 2012: While significant energy saving potential of LED lighting remains a top consideration for manufacturers as well as designers, architects and consultants looking to offer clients more sustainable options, LED lighting comes with its own set of challenges.
The brighter, white LED technology creates heat in the component area (not in the light itself), and this can compromise performance and reliability of the LED light. Heat causes LED lighting products made with traditional materials like epoxy, to yellow with age, producing less light and even changing the colour temperature. With the chip and components exposed to heat, the life of the light declines, resulting in many LED lighting products not being able to deliver on their claims of long lasting, efficient light.
But innovative, forward thinking manufacturers of LED lighting systems are discovering that silicone addresses these challenges and offers them the freedom to explore new styles and applications. As new designs call for brighter, hotter and longer lasting LEDs, we’re seeing more and more companies turn to the power of silicone in applications where epoxies or COCs (cyclo olefin copolymers) were once the materials of choice.
Silicone offers better thermal and optical capabilities than traditional organic materials. It is a heat resistant, somewhat rubber-like compound that withstands the elevated operating temperatures and short wave exposures of today’s brighter LED lighting. It can withstand heat better than epoxy, urethane, acrylic or other traditional materials used to fabricate LED based lighting systems. Silicone also has excellent optical stability and transparency, which results in little or no yellowing and greater reliability across the visible spectrum.
Thermal and optical stability are the primary reasons that silicone based technology (used in components of LED lighting systems such as wafers, moulds, sealants, driver protection, optics and thermal interface materials) provides relatively good light transmittance. In fact, ageing tests set at extreme temperatures (150°C) for 200 hour periods show that silicone performs better than traditional, organic materials.
Silicone can also be shaped to protect electronic components and to adhere to a variety of materials or substrates used within the lighting application, and cushion fragile electrical components from outside stress. Silicone absorbs vibration, and with its low moisture absorption, it can also withstand harsh environmental effects.
These properties of silicone, along with its thermal stability, offer lighting companies greater latitude when it comes to new shapes, styles, types or sizes.
Another reason for end users to feel confident is that LED lighting designed with silicone components conforms to industry standards and labelling requirements.
And finally, in the manufacture of optical systems, silicone can help resolve issues such as glare control, colour temperature variations, long term performance, design limitations and more.
The lighting industry has gone through a huge transformation in the past five years. Before the emergence of LED technology, heat was not an issue. So many lighting companies have not yet realised the diverse ways that silicone can expand their design options and enhance performance across the lighting value chain. We believe that the real breakthroughs in expanding LED technology will come about by the use of a wide range of silicone product offerings, innovative game changing products, and close collaboration with leading players in the lighting industry.
Electronics Bazaar, South Asia’s No.1 Electronics B2B magazine
