Thermochromic Polymers

In the focus of our material development is the introduction of thermochromism into commercially mass market polymers - thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics, elastomers, lacquers and coatings – by doping them with thermochromic additives. Whereby, all other material properties of the resulting thermochromic polymers are aimed to keep unchanged. This requires thermochromic additives which are stabile in the polymer matrix and which also withstand the polymer manufacturing or production process. In case of thermoplastics it is the manufacturing process by extrusion technology, in case of thermosetting plastics and elastomers the cross-linking process and in case of lacquers and coatings the curing process. Thus for all these polymer matrices a different set of requirements on the chemical, mechanical and thermal stability of thermochromic additives has to be fulfilled.