Hermetic seal for electrochromic display

In an electro-optic display having spaced substrates carrying electrode means, a hermetic sealant between portions of the display defining a cell and an acidic electrolyte in the cell,

• an improved sealant providing an inner seal chemically formed in situ at the interface with the electrolyte by reaction therewith and an outer seal surrounding the inner seal, said sealant comprising a mixture of acid resistant epoxy resin and a curing agent selected from at least one of an amine and amide which reacts with the acidic electrolyte at the interface to form respective water repellant amino or amido salts, said salts forming the inner seal, and which curing agent also reacts at areas of the sealant surrounding the interface to cure said resin and thereby form the outer seal.

In an electrochromic display having spaced substrates carrying an electrode and electrochromic layer thereon, a hermetic sealant between portions of the substrates to define a cell and a soluble polystyrene sulfonic acid polymer chemically wetted with water in the cell as an electrolyte,

• an improved sealant providing an inner seal chemically formed in situ at the interface with the electrolyte by reaction therewith and an outer seal surrounding the inner seal, said sealant comprising a mixture of acid resistant epoxy resin and a curing agent selected from at least one of an amine and amide which reacts with the electrolyte at the interface to form respective water repellant amino or amido polystyrene sulfonate salts, said salts forming the inner seal, and which curing agent also reacts at areas of the sealant surrounding the interface to cure said resin and thereby form the outer seal.

In an electro-optic display having a fill port through which an electrolyte is introduced into the display.

• an improved fill port sealant providing an inner seal chemically formed in situ at the interface between the sealant and electrolyte and an outer seal surrounding the inner seal, said sealant comprising a mixture of an epoxy resin and a curing agent which reacts with the electrolyte at the interface to form a water repellant reaction product, said reaction product forming the inner seal, and which curing agent also reacts with the epoxy resin at areas of the sealant surrounding the interface to cure said resin and thereby form the outer seal.