Borealis Lightings innovative LED technology relies on polycarbonate from Bayer MaterialScience
Article Type: New products From: Pigment & Resin Technology, Volume 38, Issue 5
Light emitting diode (LED) lighting is growing in popularity around the world, which is no surprise given the many benefits of LED technology, including a typical lifecycle of 50,000 h, low-maintenance and low-energy consumption. Owing to the energy savings it offers over traditional incandescent bulbs, LED technology is a more environmentally responsible way to light a space. The US Government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars funding programs from basic research to demonstration projects replacing traditional lighting sources with more efficient LED lighting. Furthermore, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandated that energy efficiency standards of light bulbs increase by 30 percent, therefore effectively phasing out most common types of incandescent light bulbs as early as 2012(1), making LEDs one of the preferred lighting options for the future.
Borealis Lighting, a division of PolyBrite International, is at the forefront of LED lighting technology, designing and manufacturing solid-state LED lighting systems and products. Borealis Lighting’s patented PolyBrite polymer and light-transmitting technology is a unique polymer/LED combination that conducts,angles, and radiates a light source through the polymer lens material illuminated by LEDs.
The lenses of several lamp products from Borealis Lighting for indoor and outdoor illumination are molded from Bayer MaterialScience’s Makrolon polycarbonate resin. Makrolon polycarbonate offers advanced benefits for this application. For example, it does not block as much light as other materials,and the higher light transmittance allows the PolyBrite technology to use fewer LEDs.
“I have always had success with Makrolon polycarbonate resin and I knew that we could count on the material to consistently meet our needs,” said Carl Scianna, President of PolyBrite International and Inventor of PolyBrite Technology. “Makrolon polycarbonate resin is a superior choice for this application because of its high impact strength and glass-like transparency,among the many other benefits it offers. Experts from Bayer MaterialScience worked with us from the start, providing support as we developed our innovative LED solutions.” Borealis Lighting uses Makrolon 6557 polycarbonate in its R20, PAR30 and PAR38 lamps. The lamps are used in a variety of general lighting applications, including residential, commercial, and retail areas.
Each lamp offers an eco-friendly, energy-saving alternative to incandescent or compact fluorescent light bulbs. The Borealis R20 LED lamps are used for ambient illumination and down lighting of common areas and work spaces, while the PAR30 and PAR38 LED lamps are used for ambient illumination and down lighting of larger spaces.
The Borealis lamps that feature Makrolon polycarbonate resin all provide brightness that is comparable to incandescent lamps, but with reduced glare and improved shock and vibration resistance. The PolyBrite combination of polymer and LEDs can be either extruded into a variety of light-scattering shapes, or injection molded, depending on the particular application.
“We are always happy to be able to provide materials ideal for applications like the Borealis Lighting LED lamps – innovative products of the future,” said Gerald DiBattista, Market Segment Leader, IT,Electrical/Electronics Polycarbonates, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “LED lighting technology requires a material that can withstand the heat while remaining strong, and offers high light transmittance and flame resistance. Makrolon 6557 polycarbonate offers those characteristics with the reliability and reputation of Bayer MaterialScience behind it.” “All customer feedback from these particular lamps has been positive,” said Scianna.“People like the aesthetic look, as well as the practical benefits of the lamps.”
1 Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-140.
