KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC. has developed world’s first transparent polyimide, which is seen as a major material that will replace glass in next-generation displays such as foldable, double-sided, and transparent displays. This is a technology that even top polyimide businesses such as Dupont and Kaneka has not developed. As KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC. secures such technology, it is expected that South Korean display industry will lead one step higher.
If transparent polyimide replaces display glass, South Korean display industry does not have to depend on materials from foreign businesses such as Corning. Billions of dollars in profits are also expected.
According to an industry on the 3rd, KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC. has finished developing transparent polyimide that it had been working on for past 10 years.
“We have developed a product that has hygroscopic property and color, which are main weaknesses of polyimide, removed while maintaining heat-resistant property and mechanical property that are strengths of polyimide.” said Director Kang Choong-seok of KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC. “We are currently about to mass-produce this product.”
This is the first time KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC. officially confirmed its development of transparent polyimide and it had not made any announcements in the past due to security reason. A reason why it confirmed this development is because it feels like level of perfection of this technology is where it wants to be.
Polyimide is a super engineering plastic that does not change its properties even in extreme low temperature (-296°C) and high temperature (400°C). It is flexible like a sheet of paper if polyimide is made like a film.
Because it is heat-resistant and flexible, it is used as a material for FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) and recently for flexible display substrate.
KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC. has opened even more new possibilities by adding transparency to polyimide. By making polyimide, which has been producing yellow color, colorless and transparent, it is possible now to commercialize next-generation displays.

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<Researchers from KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.’s Central Technology Institute is examining transparent polyimide film. >

For example, image needs to be expressed from both inside and outside of foldable displays that fold and open screens. This means that light that is produced from OLE needs to penetrate substrates from the top and bottom.
It is impossible with current polyimide since it has color. As yellow color appears in transparent displays, it was not possible to replace display glass completely. KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.’s technology overcomes such limitations.
“Although it does not matter if flexible displays that have been produced until now have color, transparent material is necessary for next-generation products since they are going to be transparent.” said Director Kang.
It is predicted that transparent polyimide will replace glass, which is the major material of displays. Glass is a necessary material for substrates and cover window in displays and it is used to play a role of a substrate so that TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) circuits and organic materials can be deposited and to protect a screen.
Because change in forms is important for next-generation displays, foldable and transparent polyimide is more suitable than hard glass. Transparent polyimide will change the dynamics of materials of displays.
It is expected that South Korean display industry can replace glass, which is being imported completely from Corning and Asahi Glass, with domestic materials. Corning is making more than $870 million (1 trillion KRW) in sales in a single year just from tempered glass for Smartphones.
KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC. is also planning to go after markets for tempered glass.
By believing that markets for next-generation displays such as foldable Smartphones will be opened soon, it is currently thinking about making facility investments for transparent polyimide. It currently has pilot lines.
“By looking at changes in markets, we will decide whether or not we are going to extend facilities.” said Director Kang.
Staff Reporter Yun, Keonil | benyun@etnews.com