Since our ancestors discovered fire, the ability to light a dark space has captured our imagination. Today, lighting of interior and exterior spaces can impact our ability to see clearly and function well. Plastics are used to improve the optical quality for many products that help light our lives at work and home, including energy-saving LED bulbs, interior and exterior luminaires, backlighting and other lighting applications.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC works with architects, designers, engineers and lighting professionals to help bring these products to life by providing materials and expertise that offer light management functionality and enable impeccable design.

Bayer will highlight its robust selection of light- and thermal-managing polycarbonate plastics, films and sheet materials at its booth (#7936) during the LIGHTFAIR International trade show and conference June 3-5, in Las Vegas. Here is a sneak peek at the company's exhibit.

Bayer logo. (LEDinside/Bayer)

For LED lighting applications requiring high lumen efficiency, excellent light transmission and stability to heat – such as optics, lenses and enclosures – Makrolon® LED2643 polycarbonate fits the bill. Additionally, Makrolon® LED2643 polycarbonate is impact resistant, has a UL 94 flame class rating of V-2 at 0.75 mm, and is f1 rated for outdoor use (in accordance with UL 746C).

For manufacturers looking to replace aluminum in heatsink applications for LED replacement lamps and next-generation luminaires, Makrolon® TC8030 polycarbonate plastic from Bayer is an excellent material choice. This thermally conductive polycarbonate grade provides corrosion resistance and increased design freedom. It has similar thermal properties when compared to aluminum but is able to reduce costs by eliminating assembly steps, improving production efficiency and reducing capital investments. Processed by injection molding, Makrolon® TC8030 has a UL 94 flame class rating of V-0 at 2.0 mm and is f1 listed.

Another Bayer offering – Makrolon® FR7087 polycarbonate – is an excellent choice for flame-retardant applications requiring clarity, including lenses, covers and electrical enclosures. Available in transparent and diffusion colors, Makrolon® FR7087 plastic has a UL 94 flame rating of 5VA at 3.0 mm. This material was chosen by TerraGlo for the lens cover of its Alba Series luminaires, and by TerraLUX Illumination for the lens of its Line-Voltage Linear LED Light Engine.

Manufacturers in search of high-performance polycarbonate sheet need look no further than Makrolon® Lumen XT polycarbonate sheet from Bayer. Among its wealth of properties, the sheet material carries a UL 94 V-2 flammability performance listing and resists high temperatures while providing outstanding, uniform LED light diffusion, minimizing hot spots while maximizing light transmission.

Makrolon® Lumen XT sheet also offers flexibility, along with superior impact resistance, when compared with glass and acrylic in LED fixtures. Bayer developed this polycarbonate sheet product for use in diffusion lenses in LED lighting fixtures, and can be formed into a variety of shapes to meet application and design requirements. Makrolon® Lumen XT sheet is utilized for interior LED and conventional lighting fixtures. For example, it is found in a major correctional facility and U.S. Cellular Field (White Sox baseball park) in the form of diffuser panels for new LED fixtures, and was even used in a recent art installation.

Bayer also offers several polycarbonate films formulated for lighting applications. Makrofol® light management polycarbonate film grades (LM228, LM309, and LM905) are translucent materials filled with a light-scattering agent in combination with a surface texture. These properties translate into various combinations of transmission and diffusion in order to meet end users' light guidance and light reflection needs. Light diffusers for consumer goods and other backlight displays commonly utilize these film grades.

Makrofol® LM903 polycarbonate film is a formable, opaque white extruded film that offers the very high light reflection properties needed for LCD and LED backlights and other reflector housing applications.

Visitors from around the world can drop by the Bayer booth (#7936) during LIGHTFAIR International to learn more about Bayer's materials for lighting applications and talk to Bayer experts.