Showa Denko has announced the completion of its pilot plant for the production of transparent and heat-resistant film called SHORAYAL at its Oita Complex.
Showa Denko will ship the sample products for applications in displays such as touch screens and will speed up marketing activities for full-scale shipments. The completion of the pilot plant will allow the company to supply samples not only in the form of rolls but also in sheet forms.
Since the samples should match the actual production conditions of Showa Denko’s customers, the company expects that commercialization of SHORAYAL will progress rapidly. The company has produced the SHORAYAL film using its in-house resin technology employed for glass lens purposes.
The SHORAYAL film has superior heat resistance of up to 250 °C, high light transmittance of 92% and low double refraction. It is resistant to organic solvents, alkalis and acids and has high surface hardness of 3H or greater.
The performance properties of displays such as lightweight, durability and visibility are continuously enhanced in order to offer better display products for tablet PCs, smart phones and other portable electronic instruments. Thus, the SHORAYAL, with its cost effectiveness and superior performance, has great prospect in the display market.
Showa Denko is currently in the process of developing more optical films other than SHORAYAL. The company has classified its optical films business as one of its high growth businesses. It intends to achieve ¥20 billion in sales in the optical films market in 2020.