Is smart glass/film a safety glass?
Yes, smart glass/film is a safety glass. Being laminated, it prevents scattering of glass fragments in case of breakage.
How long time does smart glass/film change from opaque to transparent?
Smart glass/film change in 1/100 second from opaque to transparent and 1/10 second from transparent to opaque.
Why is PDLC considered to be smart?
The smartness of PDLCs is a result of its ability to change its transparency (technically called the transmittance) when an electrical stimulus is applied to it. This is normally by way of an alternating voltage, which exerts an alternating electric field across the PDLC material.
Nevertheless, the PDLC is only as smart as the control system which stimulates the change, which can be driven by a push button switch, a light sensor, or a building automation system.
Does PDLC smart glass become opaque?
No, the correct term is translucent, since light still gets through, albeit scattered in many directions. The glass would be opaque only if the light was blocked or absorbed.
Why does PDLC require a polymer?
The polymer allows the liquid crystals to be embedded into a film, which can then be sandwiched between panels of glass or plastic. The polymer has constant optical properties which do not vary across its structure, and hence is considered isotropic.
In contrast, the liquid crystal itself is anisotropic, since its optical characteristics are not constant across its structure, but rather can vary under application of an electric field.