LEDs | electrical and electronic
The energy-saving potential of LED lighting is driving growth. Peter Mapleston looks at how polymers can meet demanding cost and performance targets
Energy drives the LED market
Around 20% of the world’s electricity consumption is used for lighting applications. Today’s Light Emitting Diodes (LED) consume about 70-80% less energy than conventional incandescent lamps, they last longer, and provide more design fl exibility. With improvements in technology and increasing volumes, LED solutions are rapidly becoming more affordable and LED lighting is being adopted increasingly in many applications around the world.
The LED lighting market will grow rapidly over the
next few years as legislation around the world continues to restrict the use of less effi cient lighting technologies and as the prices that can be charged for LEDs contin- ues to drop, says David Stonecipher, Global Industry Director, Electrical and Electronics at plastics com- pounder PolyOne. “This projected growth is attracting numerous lighting and LED component competitors to the market, placing increasing pressure on manufactur- ers to lower costs and differentiate their products.” Bala Ambravan, Global Product Marketing Director
for Lexan polycarbonate copolymers at Sabic, says LED technology is rapidly changing to meet market demands for higher brightness, improved aesthetics, lower costs and longer useful life. He says that one issue is how to increase the durability of these components to match the exceptional – and growing – life span of the LED modules themselves. Another is improving luminous effi cacy (using less energy to achieve the same brightness), which is being addressed in part by increasing the light transmission performance of
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Handling the heat LEDs with high power densities make thermal manage- ment the key focus area in LED lighting design. Without appropriate thermal management, LEDs will gradually lose brightness, exhibit a change in their color spec- trum over time, and present higher failure rates.
Many LED lamps use thermally conductive compounds to help remove heat
optical lenses and covers. Finally, LED modules need to be protected with impact-resistant components. Polymer and compound producers offer, and
continue to develop, solutions for lenses, housings and thermal components that meet these challenges, while enhancing design freedom and reducing processing costs. Engineering plastics are now providing solutions in applications that include the packaging of the LEDs themselves, the lenses, refl ectors, heat sinks, and more.
PHOTO: RTP
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