Optical element containing nano-composite particles

1. An optical component comprising a dispersion of layered minute particulate materials in a binder, the layered materials having a layer thickness, a concentration of particulate in the binder, and a basal plane spacing sufficient to provide a component having a light transmissivity of at least 50% wherein said layered material comprises smectite clay or a layered double hydroxide.

2. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said layered materials have an aspect ratio between 10:1 and 250:1.

3. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the layered materials are present in an amount between 1 and 10% by weight of said binder.

4. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the layered materials are present in an amount between 1.5% and 5% by weight of said binder.

5. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said light transmissivity is at least 85%.

6. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said optical component diffuses visible transmitted light energy.

7. The optical component of claim 6 wherein the haze of said optical component is greater than 80%.

8. The optical component of claim 6 wherein the haze of said optical component is between 20 and 60%.

9. The optical component of claim 6 wherein the haze of said optical component is less than 10%.

10. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said layered material comprises oxylated alcohol intercalated in smectite clay.

11. The optical component of claim 10 wherein said oxylated alcohol comprises ethoxylated alcohol.

12. The optical component of claim 10 wherein said ethoxylated alcohol has a hydrocarbon chain length of between 12 and 106 carbons.

13. The optical component of claim 10 wherein said ethoxylated alcohol has a hydrocarbon chain length of between 26-50 carbons.

14. The optical component of claim 10 wherein said ethoxylated alcohol intercalated in smectite clay is dispersed in polyolefin polymer.

15. The optical component of claim 10 wherein said ethoxylated alcohol intercalated in smectite clay is dispersed in polyolefin polymer and at least one layer of polymer not containing intercalated smectite are integrally connected during simultaneous extrusion.

16. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said layered material is synthetic clay.

17. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said layered material is organically modified.

18. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said binder comprises at least one layer of polyester.

19. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said binder comprises at least one layer of polyolefin.

20. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the difference in refractive index between layered material and binder is greater than 0.08.

21. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the elastic modulus of the optical component is greater than 500 MPa.

22. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the impact resistance of the optical component is greater than 0.6 GPa.

23. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the layer particulates are present in an amount between 0.1 and 1% by weight of said binder.

24. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the optical component comprises two or more layers.

25. The optical component of claim 24 wherein said minute layered particulates are present in at least one layer.

26. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the minute layered materials have a lateral dimension of 0.01 to 5 μm and a thickness of 0.5 to 10 nm.

27. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the layered minute layered materials have a basal plane spacing of from 1 to 9 nm.

28. The optical component of claim 1 wherein said layered material comprises a block copolymer intercalated in smectite clay.

29. The optical element of claim 28 further comprises a hydrophilic block that intercalates clay.

30. The optical element of claim 28 wherein the block copolymer further comprises an oleophilic block.

31. The optical component of claim 29 wherein said hydrophilic block comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of poly(alkylene oxide), poly 6, (2-ethyloxazolines), poly(ethyleneimine), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly (vinyl alcohol), polyacrylamides, polyacrylonitrile, polysaccharides, and dextrans.

32. The optical component of claim 29 wherein said hydrophilic block comprises poly(ethylene oxide).

33. The optical component of claim 29 wherein said hydrophilic block comprises polysaccharide.

34. The optical component of claim 29 wherein said hydrophilic block comprises polyvinyl pyrrolidone.

35. The optical component of claim 30 wherein said oleophilic block comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of polycaprolactone, polypropiolactone,poly β-butyrolactone; poly δ-valerolactone; poly ε-caprolactam; polylactic acid; polyglycolic acid; polyhydroxybutyric acid; derivatives of polylysine; and derivatives of polyglutamic acid, polymers of α, β-ethylenically unsaturated monomers.

36. The optical component of claim 30 wherein said oleophilic block comprises polyester.

37. The optical component of claim 30 wherein said oleophilic block comprises polycaprolactone.

38. The optical component of claim 30 wherein said oleophilic block comprises polyamide.

39. The optical component of claim 30 wherein said oleophilic block comprises polystyrene.

40. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the minute particulate materials have a lateral dimension of 0.01 to 5 μm and a thickness of 0.5 to 10 nm.

41. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the layered minute particulate materials have a basal plane spacing of from 1 to 9 nm.

42. A back lighted imaging media comprising an optical component comprising a dispersion of minute layered particulates in a binder, the particles having a layer thickness, a concentration of particulate in the binder, and a particulate basal plane spacing sufficient to provide a component having a light transmissivity of at least 50% wherein said layered material comprises smectite clay or a layered double hydroxide.

43. A liquid crystal device comprising an optical component comprising a dispersion of minute layered particulates in a binder, the particles having a layer thickness, a concentration of partictalate in the binder, and a particulate basal plane spacing sufficient to provide a component having a light transmissivity of at least 50% located between the light source and a polarizing film wherein said layered material comprises smectite clay or a layered double hydroxide.