Nov 18 2008
As days become shorter and weather poorer, silicone technology from Dow Corning is helping keep automobile drivers safe by allowing a new generation of brighter, safer and more reliable headlamps.
“Improving visibility for the driver is one of the best ways to improve road safety and comfort,” said Ed Joseph, senior technical service specialist, Dow Corning. “New headlamp designs that are making our roads safer rely increasingly on silicone materials to improve quality and performance.”
Advanced Lights Hug the Road
Dark corners are a thing of the past thanks to high-performance lubricants that enable a new generation of adaptive headlights to turn with the front wheels, illuminating the path around a corner. Able to see further down the road, drivers can better anticipate obstacles and react in time to avert serious accidents.
Silicone Adhesives Seal Out Dirt and Moisture
New silicone adhesive technologies help create headlamps that stand up to the elements, and have an excellent performance record in automotive front lighting. Silicones offer higher durability when exposed to water and high temperatures, no volatile emissions to cloud lenses and excellent adhesion to glass, metal and plastic. These properties allow the design of brighter headlamps that improve driver safety.
Headlamps Last Longer with LEDs
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are increasingly replacing halogen and xenon light sources in new headlamp assemblies. LEDs using silicone lenses provide performance and safety benefits to taillights that turn on instantly, giving trailing drivers more time to stop, offering better visibility for night-time drivers and lasting longer than incandescent bulbs.
Silicones Banish Cloudy Lenses
Drivers no longer have to worry about lenses that become opaque and cloudy over time, thanks to new silicone resins that replace polycarbonate materials for lens molding. Silicone resins offer easier molding, resistance to yellowing at elevated temperatures and overall higher light transmission.
“For years, silicone materials have played a key role in improving driver safety and ensuring performance in automotive exterior lighting applications,” said Joseph. “In coming years, the versatility and flexibility of silicones will continue to enable new innovations in fog and headlamp design.”