Mobility and sustainability are challenging the status quo for glazing across all applications. For example, in automotive glazing, the convergence of electrification and autonomous driving require glazing components to achieve seemingly contradictory properties such as rejecting and transmitting near infrared (NIR) depending on the wavelengths. To solve this challenge, we have developed polymeric multilayer optical films (MOFs) that offer this unique ability in a monolithic film requiring no physical cut-outs as is currently the practice in automotive windshields. In this presentation, we will discuss such films having precisely engineered angle dependent spectral response, not easily achievable with coatings, for a variety of applications. Visibly transparent films that have a narrow transmission band corresponding to operating wavelengths of the laser in LIDARs and rain sensors while reflecting most other solar NIR wavelengths, is one such film for behind-the-windshield LIDAR and sensor applications. Among other spectrally selective MOF films that will be discussed here are windshield and sunroof solar control films that exhibit no electromagnetic interference as well as films designed for the emerging field of agrivoltaics. The solar control films transmit over 85% of the visible and reflect over 40% of direct solar radiation. The agrivoltaic films are designed to reflect NIR and green wavelengths away from the plants towards photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and keep greenhouse and the plants cooler to improve yield. This presentation will focus on the optical characteristics and applications of these films in new and innovative glazing products.
Raghu Padiyath
Multilayer Optical Films for Glazing Applications
Company: 3M Company, Maplewood, USA
About the speaker:
Raghu Padiyath is currently a Division Scientist at 3M Company. He has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and has over 30 years of product and process development experience. Dr. Padiyath is a named inventor on over 50 issued, and many other pending US patents related to coating processes, LCD and OLED displays, barrier coatings, solar control films, and daylight redirecting films. He brings a unique blend of chemistry, physics, and materials processing knowledge in developing products for a variety of glazing applications.