The project will allow windows to turn opaque and clear with little energy and low costs.

KENT, Ohio, Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Dr. Clinton Braganza, the Manager of Research and Development and Principal Scientist at Kent Displays, Inc., visited co-researchers at Jeonbuk National University in Korea to continue research on the collaborative project, "Energy-saving bistable light shutters using carbon-based nanocomposites," with the Department of Nano Convergence Engineering at the University. Kent Displays is the maker of bestselling writing tablet, Boogie Board®.

The "Energy-saving bistable light shutters using carbon-based nanocomposites" international joint research project commercializes carbon-based nanocomposites and furthers the economic prosperity of the United States and Korea. The ITECH research and development program under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology supports this collaborative work.

The research project is developing switchable light shutter on flexible substrates that allow windows to turn opaque to clear and back again using minimal electric power. This version does not need power to stay in either opaque or clear states, making it sustainable and potentially very cost-effective. The technology applications make it easier to sanitize than today's plastic blinds and will last longer. The electronic background also makes it possible to integrate with mobile apps for easier control.

The optical performance of these panels is unmatched in the industry, creating very high haze and opacity in the privacy state and high clarity at high angles in the clear state. In addition to constant improvement in research and development, Kent Displays also manufactured parts for the technology on their world class roll to roll manufacturing machines.

Braganza's visit to Korea was partly to visit his co-researchers, Prof. Seung Hee Lee, Dr. MinSu Kim (Principal Instructor) and DaYeon Lee (Graduate Researcher) from the Departments of Polymer Nano Science and Technology and Nano Convergence Engineering in Jeonbuk National University.

"This project allows our team [Kent Displays] to work on industry-leading research and to further our research team by hiring exceptional researcher David Starr," stated Braganza. "Kent Displays is located in what journalists call the new technical heartland of the United States, and we're excited to continue our work with Jeonbuk National University to commercialize this technology further."  

Although more research is needed, Kent Displays and Jeonbuk National University are invested in supporting an international research opportunity to improve both the United States and Korean economy and technological prowess.

Founded in early 1994, Kent Displays has become the world leader in reflective bistable cholesteric liquid crystal display technology. Commercialized in the 1990s, this technology was globally licensed and continues to be licensed in applications for signage and instrumentation. In the early 2000s, Kent Displays made significant advances in extending the technology toward flexible materials and manufacturing.

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