Optical Quality PET Film - Influence of particulate nanoadhesionDuPont Teijin Films (Wilton) and Chemical Engineering (University of Birmingham)

DuPont Teijin Films (DTF) is a global joint venture company concerned with the development and manufacture of polyester films with widespread application in such diverse markets as flexible electronic displays, membrane touch switches, photovoltaic cells, capacitors, data storage, identity cards, flexible packaging and medical test strips. DTF is seeking to deliver a world class level of surface quality capability targeted at the growing flexible electronics markets for such applications as brightness enhancement films (BEF) for LCDs, transparent conductive films for touch panel sensors; and high barrier films for OLED Displays. During the production of optical quality PET film, relative movement of film on rollers, in conjunction with particulate build-up, can result in undesirable surface damage. Minimising the formation of surface defects requires a reduction in particulate formation and build up on both the film surface and the rollers at the microscopic scale and is proving inaccessible for quantification by conventional techniques.

The objectives of this proposed work are to:

1. Characterize the composition of the particulates
2. Formulate the prevailing formation pathways
3. Measure the particle-surface interaction as a function of environmental
conditions, surface and particle characteristics
4. Determine damaging mechanisms.
5. Develop force balance model to predict where particulates can build up during
roll /film and roll/cleaning pad interactions
6. Optimise roll surface and cleaning strategy for a given film type, speed and
Tension