DuPont Announces Patents for Technology Used in Decorative Glass Panels

DuPont™ SentryGlas® Expressions™ digital interlayer technology is leading the way with installations by licensees and qualified installers around the world. The façade of a new government office building in Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia, for example, achieves its striking effect (see photo) with patent-protected SentryGlas® Expressions™ technology.  Licensee DigiGlass Pty Ltd., Melbourne, Australia, produced the panels.

DuPont now holds patents in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe covering solvent-based and aqueous inks and dyes and their use in printing decorative images on films including polyvinyl butyral, polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate and others by ink-jet and other printing methods.

Also included in the patent coverage are laminated products employing glass and other materials as well as the use of an image-bearing interlayer in combination with an opaque layer.  Patents are pending on printing of additional polymer substrates, including acoustic-modified and other types.

With more than 13 years of outdoor weathering tests, the SentryGlas® Expressions™ product offering provides assurance that projects will maintain their rich color and design integrity for years to come whether they are used indoors or outdoors.  While DuPont™ SentryGlas® Expressions™ can be visually dramatic, it also is strong and practical ... using proven interlayer technology meeting ANSI Z97 specifications for safety glass.

Decorative laminated panels made by DigiGlass and other SentryGlas® Expressions™ licensees are adding flair to a wide-range of building elements.  They include self-standing internal walls, partitions and doors, stairway balustrades, tabletops, elevators, windows or entire external building facades.  In addition to aesthetics, the panels provide other benefits of laminated glass, namely safety, security, excellent outdoor weatherability, protection from UV rays, noise reduction and solar/thermal control.

“With SentryGlas® Expressions™, designers and project owners enjoy the benefits of proven, patented technology,” said Valerie Aunet, venture manager for DuPont™ SentryGlas® Expressions™.

“There are other technologies in the marketplace today that may be in violation of one or more of the DuPont patents or that do not meet the fade resistance and safety glass requirements demonstrated by the extensive weathering or lamination testing that DuPont has done,” Aunet said.  “In doing business with licensees of DuPont™ SentryGlas® Expressions™ digital interlayer technology, architects, designers and owners can rest easy that not only are they working with a proven quality product, but also in the knowledge that they are not party to any potential issues arising from other products and/or processes that may be in conflict with DuPont’s patents."



For more information about DuPont™ SentryGlas® Expressions™, please visit sentryglas.com.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802.  The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.  For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.