“Plastic Electronics” and its introduction into the Toy Sector.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) March 15, 2010 -- Plastic electronics represent a new range of electronics whose main aim is the production of devices on plastic substrates from organic and hybrid materials.

The experimental development of these devices is the aim of the consortium members of the PLASeTOY project, which is made up of AIJU (he Technological Institue for Toys), CIDETEC (Electrochemical Technologies Centre) and CETEMMSA. This programme, supported by the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry and co-financed by FEDER (Regional Development European Fund) funds within the framework of the National Plan of Experimental Development DEX-560540-2008-3, is being coordinated by AIJU.
The plastic electronic devices to be developed in this project can be split into electro-optical and flexible tactile devices and flexible plastic electronics tracks.

The technology called “Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals” or PDLC, is based on the dispersion of micro drops of liquid crystal in a polymeric matrix. The difference between the refraction rates of liquid crystal and the polymer causes a high light dispersion (Scattering) that makes the material take on a translucent aspect. Applications of PDLC technology are intelligent windows and divider or private window electrically controlled in offices, hospitals, shop windows, etc.
Electrochromic Devices change colour under the action of an electrical field in a reversible way due to a redox reaction. This property allows these materials to be used as filter systems in the visible light area and that of IR (Infrared) decreasing the amount of light and solar radiation that passes through. Possible applications are as intelligent windows or eye filters where it is important to filter both, luminosity and solar radiation, and rear view mirrors that are darkened when light falls upon them with a certain intensity avoiding the dazzling of drivers.

Flexible tactile switching and flexible circuits consist of using and adapting traditional technologies employed in graphic arts for the manufacturing of electronic devices usually developed by means of other techniques. The main applications of flexible electronics are: pressure sensors, flexible circuits, OLED devices, flexible memories, electroluminescent lamps, flexible batteries, electrophoretic devices, RFID tags, elastic sensors, and flexible photovoltaic panels, among others.
Electroluminescence is a phenomenon in which a material emits light when an electrical field is applied. The electroluminescent devices are of a sandwich structure type and in the interior the luminescent material is deposited.
Electroluminescence has a wide range of applications, from electronic products such as mobile phones, PDA’s, watches, toy complements, decoration, advertising, and both conventional and road signs, among others.

The tools available to European enterprises to keep their market share is, invariably, their competitiveness by means of the research and development of new technologies.The

flexible electronics     plastic electronic     polymer electronics