Page 20 - ARKEMA_MAG_INNOVATIVE_#1_EN-digital

An ecosystem OPERATING ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE
As a manufacturer of electroactive polymers, Arkema is at the base of the innovation creation chain in organic and printed electronics. The company is a driving force within a closely woven network of universities, manufacturers and professional associations in France, the European Union and worldwide. We take a closer look
at the academic world.
Guillaume Fleury / Assistant professor and researcher
“We develop electroactive materials and optimize their properties to suit the end demonstrator devices in which they are used (pyroelectric sensors, energy recovery systems, actuators, etc.). The performance of these solutions can be optimized through the intelligent use of the materials.
“Our approach is part of an ecosystem that brings together multiple areas of expertise. Arkema, with its electroactive polymers that are the cornerstone of systems tested in our research laboratory, and the manufacturers which, by using the organic electronic systems in their end applications, guide us on the course to take. This is the aim of the SMILE industrial chair (see p.17) and ELORPrintTech, a French research equipment sharing platform dedicated to printable and flexible electronics.
“Our partnership with Arkema has crystallized in recent years around the development of electroactive materials with a view to accelerating the printed electronics revolution. The foldable screen is a significant example of the benefits of the materials it uses (lightweight, flexible). They are also less costly to produce and less harmful for the environment than traditional electronic components (silicon), both in the end application and during manufacture.”
Bordeaux University, France
Field of research:
Electroactive materials and organic electronics
Applications: Sensors, actuators, energy recovery systems
Seung Tae Choi / Associate professor in mechanical engineering
“Since 2015, Arkema has been funding one of our research programs on electroactive polymers and their applications in haptic systems. Since we started, we have made remarkable progress in flexible systems, including ferroelectric polymers. We share this with Arkema, and we are positioning ourselves as a bridge between this international specialist in materials and polymers and the leaders in electronics who are interested in our innovations. These include actuators that transmit localized touch vibrations on large surfaces, and an audible touch-sensitive button that reproduces the recognizable click sound in the latest electronic objects.
“The other aspect to our collaboration consists of providing Korean companies with know- how about the manufacture of systems that use piezoelectric polymers. These materials and systems have a massive future potential due to the growth in demand for retail electronics—smartphones of course, but also cars, and health (smart clothing, medical systems) —all aimed at improving the user experience.”
Chung-Ang University, South Korea Field of research: Haptic systems Applications: Actuators
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INNOVATIVE WITH...