Optical elements containing nanoscaled particles and having an embossed surface and process for their preparation
AssigneeInstitut für Neue Materialien gemeinnützige GmbH
InventorsHerbert Krug, Rudiger Nass, Helmut Schmidt, Lubomir Spanhel
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Abstract
Optical elements comprising a substrate and a transparent composite material layer having an embossed surface, the composite material comprising a polymer matrix having incorporated therein inorganic components in the form of nanoscaled particles, and methods of preparation thereof which comprise mixing a polymer precursor with a sol of nanosealed particles in an organic solvent and a polymerizable initiator, applying the mixture to a substrate to form a coating, and embossing the coating while simultaneously curing it.
Claims8
A process for preparing an optical element which comprises
- a) mixing a compound, which can be cured or polymerized thermally or photochemically to form an optically transparent polymer, with a sol of nanoscaled particles having a particle size ranging from 0.5 to 20 nm, said nanoscaled particles being present in a sufficient amount to reduce the thermal shrinkage of the mixture relative to the thermal shrinking of the compound alone, in an organic solvent and a polymerization initiator, to form a mixture,
- b) applying the mixture on a substrate to form a coating on the substrate, and optionally drying the coating,
- c) embossing the coating on the substrate with a punch while simultaneously curing the coating thermally or photochemically and
- d) optionally conducting a post-curing, wherein an optical element with an embossed, optically transparent coating is formed, said coating comprising a polymer matrix having incorporated therein nanoscaled particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.