by Shane Henson — May 1, 2013—The global light-emitting diode (LED) market’s average compound annual growth will be as high as 33 percent through 2016, according to analyst firm McKinsey & Company. According to Dow Corning, global developer of silicones and silicon-based technology, much of that growth will depend on the adoption of more advanced materials technologies, such as advanced optical silicones, that are designed to keep up with the ever-increasing requirements of the field.
While conventional LED materials enabled the start-up and initial development of the industry, higher performing products such as silicones can help solid-state lighting meet more challenging performance requirements for fast-growing applications like streetlights, office illumination and architectural lighting, explains the company.
According to Dow Corning, four major industry-wide LED trends are fueling this interest in silicone innovation:
- The drive toward higher efficiency: Although LEDs are among the most efficient of all light sources, the market is continuously pushing toward higher and higher efficiency products. Offering advanced optical performance and superior moldability versus traditional materials, silicones provide exceptional clarity and new design possibilities for primary and secondary optics that squeeze more lumens out of every watt.
- Rising LED temperatures: As designers are increasing the amount of driving current in LEDs and are decreasing the overall size of the lighting fixture, the operating temperatures for emerging LEDs are approaching 150°C and higher. Such temperatures can cause conventional epoxies and plastics to turn yellow and physically degrade over time. In contrast, silicones have demonstrated reliable optical and physical performance at temperatures reaching 200°C and higher, which helps ensure next-generation LED sources can meet and exceed the lumen maintenance requirements of today’s most challenging lighting applications.
- Demand for more design flexibility: While conventional glass, polycarbonate and acrylic products were adequate for early LED designs, many new lighting applications are calling for architectures that are difficult to fabricate with traditional materials. The unique mechanical properties of silicone materials are driving broad new design possibilities for secondary optics, light pipes, light guides, white reflecting parts and remote phosphor components. The superior moldability of silicones enables LED architectures with more complex shapes, micro-scale optical structures, undercuts and thinner wall configurations that would be difficult or impossible to fabricate with either organic polymers or glass.
- Lower costs: As LED manufacturers seek to deliver more lumens per dollar, many are looking to optical silicones to help minimize their products’ total cost of ownership through improved performance and processing. More easily molded than glass or plastics, silicones offer unique options for consolidation of mechanical and optical LED, helping to reduce assembly operations. Plus, their lower molding temperature translates into lower energy consumption during LED manufacture. Lastly, the thermal and optical stability of silicones combined with their strong resistance to UV, chemicals and impact helps ensure LED light sources deliver consistent, reliable, high-quality illumination over the lifetime of the device.
