Patent ID: 8029135
Filing Date: 2011-10-04
Classification: C09K,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for manufacturing a polarized and abrasion-resistant optical article comprising an optical substrate, a polarized layer, said polarizer layer including a photo-alignment layer and, on said photo-alignment layer, an oriented liquid crystal polymer (LCP) layer comprising one or more dyes of which at least one is a dichroic dye, and an abrasion-resistant monolayer or multilayer overlaying the polarized layer, said method comprising the steps of : a) submitting the surface of the substrate to a chemical treatment comprising the step of dipping the article in a 5% NaOH aqueous solution at 50° C., followed by a rinsing step with water, and drying; b) coating a photo-alignment material solution onto the substrate to form a layer, then applying polarized UV radiation on said layer, this application having the effect of orienting the layer thereby forming a photo-alignment layer; c) coating, onto the photo-alignment layer of step b), a liquid crystal monomer solution, comprising one or more dyes of which at least one is a dichroic dye, then cross-linking the obtained new layer using a UV light source to obtain a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) layer; d) submitting the surface of the LCP layer of step c) to a thermal treatment comprising heating the article for 5 minutes to 3 hours at a temperature comprised between 50° C. and 130° C.; and e) coating an abrasion-resistant layer onto the heat treated layer resulting from step d).