Polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article and method of making same
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsJohn Border, Michael R. McGovern
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical nanocomposite material has a nanoparticulate filler dispersed in a host plastic material. According to the method of making the nanocomposite material, a predetermined temperature sensitive optical vector, such as refractive index, of the plastic host material and nanoparticulate filler are directionally opposed resulting in a nanocomposite material having significantly improved stability of the refractive index with respect to temperature.
Claims9
1 Polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article, comprises:
- a polystyrene host material having a temperature sensitive optical vector x1 and nanoparticles dispersed in said polystyrene host material having a temperature sensitive optical vector x2, wherein said temperature sensitive optical vector x1 is directionally opposed to said temperature sensitive optical vector x2.
The polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article recited in claim 1 wherein each of said temperature sensitive optical vectors x1 and x2 are defined by a change in refractive index (dn) of said polystyrene host material and said nanoparticles, respectively, with respect to a change in temperature (dT).
The polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article recited in claim 1 wherein said temperature sensitive optical vector x1 has a negative value of about 127×10−6/degree C. and said temperature sensitive optical vector x2 has a positive value of greater than about 6×10hu −6/degree C. and less than about 50×10−6/degree C.
The polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article recited in claim 1 wherein said nanoparticles are magnesium oxide.
The polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article recited in claim 1 wherein said nanoparticles are aluminum oxide.
A method of manufacturing a polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a polystyrene host material having a temperature sensitive optical vector x1 and nanoparticles having a temperature sensitive optical vector x2, wherein said temperature sensitive optical vector x1 is directionally opposed to said temperature sensitive optical vector x2;
- (b) dispersing said nanoparticles into said polystyrene host material forming a polystyrene nanocomposite material;
- and,
- (c) forming said polystyrene nanocomposite material into said polystyrene nanocomposite optical plastic article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.