With the growing trend towards the use of LEDs for innovative lamp and lighting concepts, Bayer MaterialScience has developed new grades of its transparent Makrolon® polycarbonate specifically for the production of these modern light sources.

One important application for Makrolon® in this segment is that of lenses that bundle and guide the light from the LEDs. The specifications for such products are very strict: high purity, optimal light transmission, economical processing and, depending on the particular end use, additional properties such as flame retardance. The latest research product in Bayer MaterialScience’s LED portfolio is a material that is resistant to UV radiation and also has better transparency than the conventional polycarbonate grades currently used in outdoor applications in the lens segment.

These lenses are one example of an application that can benefit from the unique properties of Bayer MaterialScience´s new grade of Makrolon® polycarbonate resin. The new grade was developed as a UV-stabilized, high light-transmission addition to the company´s existing portfolio of materials for LED applications.

Bayer Material Science already manufactures a number of polycarbonate grades for the LED market which boast not only very high light transmittance but also good heat resistance and excellent stability under LED lighting current. All these products have special characteristics that are ideal for many LED applications.

Makrolon® LED2045 is the product with the highest light transmittance and is ideal for refractive optics, lenses, and light pipes and guides where, despite greater wall thicknesses or longer light paths, high transmission is specified. The Makrolon® LED 2245 grade has similar overall characteristics but slightly improved physical properties and a lower melt flow index. Both grades conduct white light up to a length of around 300 mm without any significant transmission losses.