Polymers with customizable optical and rheological properties based on an epoxy acrylate based host-guest system

U. Gleiβner; J. Hobmaier; T. Hanemann

doi:10.1117/12.2185671

2 September 2015 Polymers with customizable optical and rheological properties based on an epoxy acrylate based host-guest system

U. Gleiβner, J. Hobmaier, T. Hanemann

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9574, Material Technologies and Applications to Optics, Structures, Components, and Sub-Systems II; 95740L (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2185671
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We report an easy way to tune the optical refractive index and viscosity of an epoxy acrylate-based host-guest system which can be used for the fabrication of optical waveguides. This allows fast and precise modification of the material system for different replication methods like hot embossing, inkjet printing or spin coating. To modify the refractive index n, an electron-rich organic dopant such as phenanthrene is added to a commercially available reactive polymer based resin. Moreover, changes in viscosity can be achieved by using a comonomer with suitable properties like benzyl methacrylate (BMA). We used a commercially available UV-curable epoxy acrylate based polymer matrix to investigate both the influence of phenanthrene and of benzyl methacrylate. First, mixtures of the pure polymer and benzyl methacrylate with a ratio of 30, 50, and 80 wt% benzyl methacrylate were produced. Second, phenanthrene was added with 5 and 10 wt%, respectively. All components were mixed and then polymerized by UV-irradiation and with a thermal postcure. The viscosity of the mixtures decreased at 20°C linearly from 1.5 Pa·s (30 wt%) to 8 mPa·s (80 wt%), whereas the refractive index decreased at the same time by a small amount from 1.570 to 1.568 (@589 nm, 20 °C). By adding phenanthrene refractive index increased to a maximum of n = 1.586 (50 wt% BMA, 10 wt% phenanthrene). Abbe numbers for the compositions without phenanthrene ranged from 35 to 38.

Citation Download Citation

U. Gleiβner, J. Hobmaier, and T. Hanemann "Polymers with customizable optical and rheological properties based on an epoxy acrylate based host-guest system", Proc. SPIE 9574, Material Technologies and Applications to Optics, Structures, Components, and Sub-Systems II, 95740L (2 September 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2185671

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