Sharp's Smartphone Employs Bio-Based Engineering Plastic

摘要

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC)'s bio-based engineering plastic DURABIO has been chosen by Sharp Corporation for the front panel of its latest smartphone, the AQUOS CRYSTAL 2. The choice marks a world-first as bio-based engineering plastic has never been used on the front panel of any smartphone. Most front panels of smartphones are made of glass, and their susceptibility to cracking has been an ongoing problem. This has led manufacturers to consider polycarbonate and other plastics for the front panels because of their light weight and increased durability compared to glass. Unfortunately, some traditionally available plastics offered excellent optical properties, but were more prone to cracking upon impact, while others that were impact-resistant tended to have poor optical properties. As there was a need for considerable improvement in the plastics, vast majority of smartphone manufac- turers relied on glass for the front panels of their phones.