Strength of the interactions between light-scattering particles and resins affects the haze of anti-glare films

In this study we evaluated the effects of the surface functional groups of light-scattering particles (LSPs) and the nature of the resin on the haze of anti-glare (AG) films. We fabricated LSPs with amino groups on their surfaces from commercial crosslinked polystyrene microbeads, and LSPs presenting aliphatic chains through reactions of these amino groups with stearic acid. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle analysis revealed that these surface-modified LSPs had different elemental compositions on their surfaces and different wettabilities, respectively. To fabricate AG films, we incorporated the LSPs presenting the different surface functional groups into resins having various affinities. At the same LSP concentration and with the same resin, the AG films incorporating LSPs with aliphatic chains exhibited greater outer haze than did those featuring amino groups. The outer haze increased upon decreasing the ratio of the viscosity of the mixture of LSPs and resin to that of the resin. We speculate that the outer haze was affected by the interactions between the LSPs and the resin.