Absorbing solar control interlayers

• US 9,776,379 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pleotint LLC
• Original Assignee: Pleotint LLC
• Inventors: Anderson, Christopher D., Byker, Harlan J., DeJong, Samuel J., Liposcak, Curtis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Webb, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US14/699,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20150306848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10091 thermally hardened
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10137 Chemical strengthening
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10155 Edge treatment or chamfering
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10477 thermochromic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10633 Infrared radiation absorbing or reflecting agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10678 comprising UV absorbers or stabilizers, e.g. antioxidants
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/71 Resistive to light or to UV
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/754 Self-cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/006 Transparent parts other than made from inorganic glass, e.g. polycarbonate glazings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/18 characterised by the use of special additives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/22 using plasticisers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/30 comprising vinyl (co)polymers; comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters

Abstract

A thermochromic, near infrared (NIR) absorbing interlayer. The interlayer includes a NIR-absorbing substance dispersed or dissolved in a polymer matrix and a thermochromic material or system. The interlayer has an internal visible light transmission above 50% and an internal solar energy transmission below 55% when the interlayer is at 15° C. and an internal visible light transmission below 20% and an internal solar energy transmission below 20% when the interlayer is at 75° C. The internal haze of the interlayer is below 3.5%.

Claims

1. A thermochromic, near infrared (NIR) absorbing interlayer comprising:

NIR-absorbing substance dispersed or dissolved in a polymer matrix; and

a thermochromic material or system;

wherein the interlayer has an internal visible light transmission above 50% and an internal solar energy transmission below 55% when the interlayer is at 15°

C. and an internal visible light transmission below 20% and an internal solar energy transmission below 20% when the interlayer is at 75°

C., and wherein the internal haze of the interlayer is below 3.5%.

2. The interlayer of claim 1, comprising NIR-absorbing substances dispersed in the polymer matrix and NIR-absorbing substances dissolved in the polymer matrix, wherein the NIR-absorbing substances dispersed in the polymer matrix comprise cesium and tungsten.

3. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the NIR-absorbing substance comprise a tetrahalometalate nanoparticle dissolved in the polymer matrix.

4. The interlayer of claim 3, wherein the tetrahalometalate comprises tetrabromonickelate (NiBr42-), tetrabromocobaltate (CoBr42-), tetraiodocobaltate (CoI42-), or a combination thereof.

5. The interlayer of claim 4, comprising 0.1 gram to 10 grams of the tetrahalometalate per square foot of interlayer.

6. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the thermochromic material or system is a ligand exchange thermochromic material or system.

7. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the thermochromic material or system comprises nickel ions and bromide ions.

8. The interlayer of claim 1, further comprising one or more additives selected from the group comprising a UV absorber, a UV stabilizer, a hindered amine light stabilizer, an antioxidant, a thermal stabilizer, an adhesion promoting agent, and an adhesion inhibiting agent.

9. The interlayer of claim 1, further comprising a plasticizer.

10. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the interlayer has a surface roughness R_z value between about 5 microns and about 150 microns.

11. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the interlayer further comprises a color suppression additive.

12. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the polymer matrix comprises polyvinylbutyral or poly(vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate).

13. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the interlayer comprises a laminate of a plurality of layers.

14. The interlayer of claim 13, wherein the plurality of layers comprise a first thermochromic layer, a second thermochromic layer, and a separator layer between the first and second thermochromic layers.

15. The interlayer of claim 14, wherein the separator layer comprises the NIR-absorbing substance.

16. The interlayer of claim 14, wherein the separator layer comprises polyethylene terephthalate, an acrylic, or a multilayer alternating refractive index (MLARI) film.

17. The interlayer of claim 16, wherein the MLARI film comprises an NIR-absorbing tetrahalometalate.

18. The interlayer of claim 13, wherein the interlayer is an acoustic interlayer.

19. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the interlayer has a maximum water or moisture content of about 1% by weight of water compared to the total weight of the interlayer.

20. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein the interlayer is at least a portion of an after-market film adapted for attachment to one or more sheets of plastic or glass.

21. A laminate comprising:

an interlayer comprising an NIR-absorbing substance dispersed or dissolved in a polymer matrix;

a first sheet of plastic or glass; and

a second sheet of plastic or glass;

wherein the interlayer is bonded between the first sheet and the second sheet, wherein at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet is coated with a low-e coating, and wherein at the laminate has a visible light transmission above 70% and a total solar transmission below 35%.

22. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the interlayer comprises NIR-absorbing substances dispersed in the polymer matrix and NIR-absorbing substances dissolved in the polymer matrix of the interlayer, and wherein the NIR-absorbing substance dispersed in the polymer matrix comprises cesium and tungsten.

23. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the NIR-absorbing substance comprises a tetrahalometalate nanoparticle dissolved in the polymer matrix of the interlayer.

24. The laminate of claim 23, wherein the tetrahalometalate comprises tetrabromonickelate (NiBr42-), tetrabromocobaltate (CoBr42-), tetraiodocobaltate (CoI42-), or a combination thereof.

25. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the interlayer comprises a thermochromic material or system.

26. The laminate of claim 25, wherein the interlayer comprises a ligand exchange thermochromic material or system.

27. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the interlayer comprises a color suppression additive.

28. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the interlayer comprises a plurality of layers.

29. The laminate of claim 27, wherein the plurality of layers comprise a first thermochromic layer, a second thermochromic layer, and a separator layer between the first and second thermochromic layers.

30. The laminate of claim 28, wherein the separator layer comprises the NIR-absorbing substance.

31. The laminate of claim 29, wherein the separator layer comprises a MLARI film and wherein the NIR-absorbing substance comprises a tetrahalometalate.

32. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the interlayer is an acoustic interlayer.

33. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the first sheet and the second sheet each comprise sheets of strengthened glass.

34. The laminate of claim 33, wherein the sheets of strengthened glass are mildly heat strengthened, heat strengthened, tempered, edge treated, chemically strengthened, or combinations thereof.

35. The laminate of claim 33, wherein at least one of the sheets of strengthened glass is mildly heat strengthened to a surface compressive strength of between about 1,000 psi and 3,500 psi.

36. The laminate of claim 33 wherein at least one of the sheets of strengthened glass is heat strengthened to a surface compressive strength of at least 3,500 psi.

37. The laminate of claim 33, wherein at least one of the sheets of glass has a linear thermal expansion coefficient between about 4×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/K and about 1×

10<sup>−

7</sup>/K.

38. The laminate of claim 33, wherein both the first and second sheets of plastic or glass are sheets of bent glass.

39. The laminate of claim 38, wherein both the sheets of bent glass both include hard coat low-e coatings.

40. The laminate of claim 38, wherein the interlayer, prior to lamination, has a surface roughness on at least one side of between about 5 microns to about 150 microns.

41. The laminate of claim 33, wherein at least one of the sheets of glass includes a self-cleaning layer.

42. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the laminate is at least a portion of a vehicle window, windshield, or sunroof.

43. The laminate of claim 21, wherein the interlayer comprises a UV barrier.

44. A laminate comprising:

an interlayer comprising an NIR-absorbing substance dispersed or dissolved in a polymer matrix and a thermochromic material or system;

a first sheet of heat strengthened glass; and

a second sheet of heat strengthened glass;

wherein the interlayer is bonded between the first sheet and the second sheet.

45. The laminate of claim 44, wherein at least one of the first and second sheets includes a hard coat low-e coating.

46. The laminate of claim 44, wherein the interlayer comprises an NIR-absorbing substance dispersed in the polymer matrix and a second NIR-absorbing substance dissolved in the polymer matrix of the interlayer, and wherein the NIR-absorbing substance dispersed in the polymer matrix comprise cesium and tungsten.

47. The laminate of claim 44, wherein the second NIR-absorbing substance comprises a tetrahalometalate dissolved in the polymer matrix of the interlayer.

48. The laminate of claim 47, wherein the tetrahalometalate comprises tetrabromonickelate (NiBr42-), tetrabromocobaltate (CoBr42-), tetraiodocobaltate (CoI42-), or a combination thereof.

49. The laminate of claim 44, wherein the thermochromic material or system is a ligand exchange thermochromic material or system.

50. The laminate of claim 44, wherein the interlayer comprises a color suppression additive.

51. The laminate of claim 44, wherein the interlayer comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein the plurality of layers include a first thermochromic layer, a second thermochromic layer, and a separator layer between the first and second thermochromic layers.

52. The laminate of claim 51, wherein the separator layer comprises the NIR-absorbing substance.

53. The laminate of claim 51, wherein the separator layer comprises a MLARI film and wherein the an NIR-absorbing substance comprises a tetrahalometalate.

54. The laminate of claim 44, wherein both the first and second sheets are sheets of bent glass.

55. The laminate of claim 44, wherein the interlayer is an acoustic interlayer.

56. The laminate of claim 44, wherein the interlayer comprises a UV barrier.