Flame retardancy of electrochromic devices

• US 10,459,307 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Ash, Kevin L., Dozeman, Gary J., Kloeppner, Leroy J., Carroll, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, William
• Application Number:
  US15/493,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20170307952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 359265-275
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3812 having fluorine atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/5015 having fluorine atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/72 Polyisocyanates or polyisothiocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/73 acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7621 being toluene diisocyanate including isomer mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7664 containing alkylene polyphenyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7671 containing only one alkylene bisphenyl group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/792 formed by oligomerisation of aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic isocyanates or isothiocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0066 Flame-proofing or flame-retarding additives
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/11 of acyclic polycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/49 Phosphorus-containing compounds C08K5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 21/08 containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 21/10 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 21/12 containing phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 21/14 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/161 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells; Filling or closing of cells

Abstract

An electrochromic device includes one or more flame-retardant agents.

Claims

1. An electrochromic device comprising:

a chamber defined by a first conductive surface of a first substrate, a second conductive surface of a second substrate, and a sealing member joining the first substrate to the second substrate;

an electrochromic medium disposed within the chamber and comprising a cathodic electroactive material and an anodic electroactive material wherein at least one of the cathodic and anodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and

a flame-retardant agent which is one or more of;

a flame-retardant co-solvent comprising;

a fluorinated carbonate, an ionic liquid, or any combination thereof;

an electrochromic medium flame-retardant additive comprising a cyclic and polymeric phosphazene compound, a phosphazene base, a fluorinated ester, a fluorinated ether, a fluorinated electrolyte salt, or a combination of any two or more thereof;

or

a flame-retardant gel matrix material comprising a fluorinated poly(ethylene glycol) cross-linked with a cross-linking agent comprising an aliphatic or aromatic polyisocyanate;

wherein;

the electrochromic device is an electrochromic aircraft transparency;

the fluorinated carbonate comprises 2-fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate, 3,3,3-trifluoropropylene carbonate, or a combination of any two or more thereof;

the ionic liquid comprises 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 4-methyl-1-butyl pyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazlium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, or a combination of any two or more thereof;

the cyclic and polymeric phosphazene compound is 2,2,4,4,6,6-hexahydro-2,2,4,4,6,6-hexakis(p-tolyloxy)triazatriphosphorine, poly(bis(phenoxy)phosphazine), poly(bis(ethoxy)phosphazene), poly(bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene), poly(bis(4-(ethoxy carbonyl)phenoxy)phosphazene, or a combination of any two or more thereof;

the phosphazene base is tert-butylimino-tri(pyrrolidino)phosphorane, tert-octylimino-tris(dimethylamino)phosphorane, or a combination thereof;

the fluorinated ester is methyl perfluorooctanoate, dimethyl tetrafluorosuccinate, dimethyl hexafluoroglutarate, dimethyl octafluoroadipate, ethylperfluorobutyrate, or a combination of any two or more thereof;

the fluorinated ether is 1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoro-3-methoxypropane, ethoxynonafluorobutane, 1,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5-decafluoro-3-methoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)pentane, or a combination of any two or more thereof;

the fluorinated electrolyte salt is tetraethylammonium hexafluorophosphate, lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate, tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate, or a combination of any two or more thereof; and

the fluorinated poly(ethylene glycol) comprises 1H,1H,8H,8H-perfluoro-3,6-dioxaoctane-1,8-diol.

2. The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the polyisocyanate comprises HDT (trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate), polymethylene polyphenylisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

3. The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the flame-retardant agent comprises an aromatic phosphate, a cyclic phosphazene compound, a polymeric phosphazene compound, a phosphazene base, a fluorinated ester, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

4. An electrochromic device comprising:

a sealing member comprising a first flame-retardant additive selected from the group consisting of a metal hydroxide, a melamine polyphosphate, a metal salt of a dialkyl phosphinate, an aromatic phosphate, and a combination of any two or more thereof;

a chamber defined by a first conductive surface of a first substrate, a second conductive surface of a second substrate, and the sealing member joining the first substrate to the second substrate; and

an electrochromic medium disposed within the chamber and comprising at least one cathodic electroactive material;

wherein;

the electrochromic device is an electrochromic aircraft transparency.

5. The electrochromic device of claim 4, wherein the electrochromic medium further comprises a second flame-retardant additive.

6. The electrochromic device of claim 5, wherein the second flame-retardant additive is the same as or different from the first flame-retardant additive.