A NOVEL SWITCHABLE GLAZING FORMED BY ELECTRICALLY INDUCED CHAINS OF SUSPENSIONS

Chains of submicron size rodlike TiO(x)N(y) particles, formed along an electric field by the so-called electrorheological effect, were softly fixed in a silicone elastomer film interposed between a pair of indium-tin oxide glasses. It has been found that the transmittance of the device was remarkably changed by displacing one substrate relatively to the other. This transmittance variation was linear with the relative displacement between substrates. For a displacement of about 35 mum, a solar transmittance change of 40.7% was obtained, while it was below 6.9% for a cell containing TiO2 Particles. The excellent optical properties of the cell using TiO(x)N(y) particles as switchable glazing was imputable to the large absorption coefficient of the particles over the wavelength of the solar spectrum (approximately 10(5) cm-1) and to a drastic variation in the cross-sectional area of the particle chain for the light when submitting the substrates to shear stress. This new type of the switchable glazing was referred to as ''shear stress-type dipole particle chain in elastomer.''