Bayer Offers Polycarbonate Semi-Finished Products for LED Lighting Technology

LED lighting technology offers numerous options for energy-efficient lighting concepts and continues to increase in popularity. Polycarbonate is becoming much more important as a material for optical components for LED lamps and lights thanks to its excellent transparency and design freedom.

Bayer MaterialScience is a leading supplier of polycarbonates for these applications. Alongside the Makrolon LED product range, the company has also developed a wide assortment of semi-finished products for light guidance, diffusion and reflection over large areas. It is presenting intelligent and durable solutions with Makrolon sheets and Makrofol films at stand E41 in Hall 4.0 of the Light + Building trade show in Frankfurt.

New additions to the range include light-shaping and glare-free Makrolon SX sheets with light permeability of up to 90%. One side has a micro lens structure, while the other has an embossed surface with UV protection. The sheets are used either in a single layer as a front cover – with linear shaping of the light, as LED retrofitting for the T5/T8 models – or in a double layer with full light diffusion.

Bayer MaterialScience is also showcasing two types of solid diffuser sheets – first, Makrolon DX products with an unusual combination of high opacity and good light permeability suitable for interior and exterior applications; and second, Makrolon Lumen XT sheets for interiors. These are supplied with various levels of opacity but boast outstanding light permeability of up to 90%. Both products are available in different grades that make the LED light appear either cool or warm.

Diffuse reflector sheets in the Makrolon RX range produce exactly the opposite effect. These white, opaque sheets reflect up to 97% of the LED light. They are available with a matt or smooth surface and in thicknesses of between 1 and 4 millimeters. The thermoformable products are used as reflective surfaces.

Makrofol LM (Light Management) polycarbonate films from Bayer MaterialScience also offer benefits for diffusing, guiding and reflecting LED light. Key applications include lighting solutions where only a small amount of space is available yet a high level of light diffusion or, for example, three-dimensional surfaces are required.