Curable resins and articles made therefrom

Abstract

Optical devices of excellent optical and physical properties produced from cured resins are disclosed. The resins and/or the cured hybrid polymer material made with the resins are characterized by a high level of cycloaliphatic-containing groups. Specific additives that can participate in crosslinking the curable polysiloxane provide additional physical property advantages.

1 . A lens comprising a photocurable and/or thermally curable resin having a refractive index of greater than 1.48 and optical dispersion, as measured by an Abbe number, of greater than 45. 
     
     
         2 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin is greater than 1.49 and the Abbe number is greater than 53. 
     
     
         3 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises monomers selected form the group consisting of (meth)acrylate monomers, polysiloxane monomers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The lens of  claim 3 , wherein at least 50% of said monomers include at least one cycloaliphatic group. 
     
     
         5 . The lens of  claim 3 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises a (meth)acrylate monomer selected from the group consisting of adamantylacrylate, adamantylmethacrylate, tricyclo [5.2.1.0] decane dimethanol diacrylate, tricyclo [5.2.1.0] decane dimethanol dimethacrylate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The lens of  claim 4 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises a polycyclic polyol as an additive. 
     
     
         7 . The lens of  claim 4 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises at least two additives selected from the group consisting of hydroxyoxetanes, diglycidyl ethers, alcohols and divinyl ethers. 
     
     
         8 . The lens of  claim 7 , wherein said at least two additives comprise hydroxyoxetane and a diglycidyl ether. 
     
     
         9 . The lens of  claim 1 , further comprising a linear cure shrinkage of less than 3%, high fracture toughness, and low post thermal shrinkage. 
     
     
         10 . The lens of  claim 1 , further comprising a linear cure shrinkage of less than 2%, high fracture toughness, and low post thermal shrinkage. 
     
     
         11 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises monomers selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylate monomers, polysiloxane monomers, and combinations thereof; wherein at least 50% of said monomers include at least one cycloaliphatic group; and wherein the lens further comprises a linear cure shrinkage of less than 3%, high fracture toughness, and low post thermal shrinkage. 
     
     
         12 . The lens of  claim 1 , manufactured by simultaneous replication of multiple lenses in an array on a single substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The lens of  claim 1 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises monomers selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylate monomers, polysiloxane monomers, and combinations thereof; wherein at least 50% of said monomers include at least one cycloaliphatic group;
 wherein the lens further comprises a linear cure shrinkage of less than 3%, high fracture toughness, and low post thermal shrinkage; and wherein the lens is manufactured by simultaneous replication of multiple lenses in an array on a single substrate.   
     
     
         14 . An optical device comprising a cured solid hybrid polymer comprising the reaction product of about 70% by weight of a photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprising (meth)acrylate or siloxane monomers, at least 50% of which includes at least one cycloaliphatic group, an initiator in an amount of between about 0.1 and 2.5%, about 30% by weight of an additive selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyoxetane, a diglycidyl ether, and combinations thereof, the optical device having a refractive index of 1.48 or more, an Abbe number of 45 or more, a low cure shrinkage of less than about 3%, and a high fracture toughness.