Monday, February 04, 2013

FIPEL, a new kind of light 'bulb'

New field-induced polymer electroluminescent (FIPEL) light bulbs being developed by Wake Forest University researchers might be the perfect replacement for compact fluorescent light bulbs, which aren't panning out due to their disposal issues among other things.

FIPEL light bulbs are unique because they are made of plastic. Researchers used a nano-engineered polymer matrix to convert electricity into light. The device is made of three layers of molded polymer blended with a small amount of nanomaterials. The result is a shatterproof material and a glow that creates a bright white light similar to sunlight.

Plastic FIPEL bulbs don't need mercury. FIPEL bulbs are estimated to last anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 hours, depending on brightness settings. They can be recycled too.

Wake Forest University is working with a company to start manufacturing FIPEL technology, which might be ready for consumers as early as next year.

1 comment:

Retro Blog said...

If they can put out a good 100 watts worth of reading light, I will happily purchase some.