University of Wisconsin - Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center Education and Outreach

Liquid Crystal

Applications

LEDs are being used increasingly where low power consumption and long lifetimes are important. Here are a few examples. If you have seen other applications you would like to share, please send your digital image to:mcondren@cbu.edu. If you do not have a digital camera or scanner, send us your print and we canscan it.

Prints should be sent to:

Prof. Mike Condren
Department of Chemistry
Christian Brothers University
650 East Parkway South
Memphis, TN 38104

Liquid crystals are commonly used in displays such as watches and calculators. Full color displays are common in laptop computers. Here are a few less common applications:

How about the unisex bathroom doors at Bar 89 that use liquid crystals to convert a transparent door opaque when the latch is closed.

Electric Privacy Glass is an illustration of how liquid crystals can be used as privacy shades.

Howstuffworks has a nice page describing, with an animation, how color LCD panels work. LCD panels come in black and white and color. The Howstuffworks site also describes how a LCD panel is build.

Some automobiles and sport utility vehicles have a LCD moon roof. The amount of transmitted light is controlled by varying the applied voltage to the panel.

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