What Materials Are Used in Tablet Screen Protectors?
Whether your tablet rubs against loose change in your pocket or drops on the floor, a screen protector absorbs impact to protect your original display. It also distributes the shock across the surface to reduce damage at one point.
Some screen protectors have antibacterial properties or reduce glare to keep your device clean and healthy for your eyes. They may also have an anti-reflective coating for use in bright environments.
Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is processed through thermal and chemical treatments that make it a lot stronger than ordinary annealed glass. The tempering process puts the outer surfaces of the glass into compression and the interior in tension, which makes it less likely to shatter into sharp shards that could cause injury. It’s commonly used in construction projects, vehicle windows, shower doors, architectural components, refrigerator trays, mobile phone screens and cookware.
While plastic screen protectors are a great option for people who want a little extra protection for their devices but don’t want to pay the price of tempered glass, they tend to scratch easily. In addition, it can be difficult to apply them properly, which could leave bubbles or other imperfections on the device’s screen.
In contrast, tempered glass is more durable and easier to apply correctly. It’s also crystal clear, which means that you can still see every pixel on your device’s display. Some tempered glass screen protectors even come with built-in glare reduction to keep your viewing experience crisp and bright.
Tempered glass is also available in a wide range of colors, allowing you to choose the perfect match for your home or PU leather tablet case business. You can even get it etched or stained to add a unique design element to your space. Plus, it’s eco-friendly and can be recycled when you’re done with it.
PET
A pliable film that can be cut to precisely fit your device screen, PET is the least expensive of all the protector materials. It offers moderate scratch resistance (rated 3H on the pencil hardness scale) and preserves touch sensitivity. PET is also clear, so it won’t interfere with your device’s color or brightness. Many PET protectors also have a matte surface that reduces bothersome reflections.
Next up the food chain in terms of toughness, TPU is a plastic that’s chemically enhanced for oil and grease resistance, elasticity, and increased toughness. It’s also flexible, meaning it can cover curved screens. Like tempered glass, TPU offers very good drop and scratch protection. But it’s thicker than PET, so it may add a few millimeters to your tablet or phone, which could cause it to stick out over the edges of some form-fitting cases.
While it’s not as pliable as PET, TPU is still much easier to work with than tempered glass. It can be used on curved screens and is able to stand up to lighter scratches that leave only a small dent—it’s also “self-healing,” which means those minor marks slowly fade over time. TPU isn’t as transparent as PET, but it can come with useful features such as anti-glare and privacy filters.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is a versatile, long-lasting engineered best ipad pro cases material that has many benefits and uses. It is available in a wide range of hardness and durometers, and can be combined with other materials like metals to create hybrid products. Additionally, urethanes are extremely flexible and resilient when compared to plastics and rubbers.
It is also known for its ability to withstand harsh chemicals and UV rays, making it an ideal choice for use in the construction industry. This durability and flexibility make it popular with furniture, footwear, and insulation manufacturers. In fact, polyurethane is used in more than 500 million products worldwide, including skateboard wheels, Spandex, and foam insulation.
This versatile material can be manufactured through a variety of processes, including cast, injection, foam, compression, and extrusion. Adding additives like fillers, surfactants, cross-linking agents, and blowing agents helps to enhance a product’s features. An example of this is integrated skin, a process that adds a flexible and tear-resistant outer layer to a molded polyurethane product.
This material is also a great option for tablet screen protectors as it can resist the abrasions caused by normal usage. Moreover, the material has excellent temperature resistance, which makes it an ideal choice for outdoor products. In addition, it is recyclable, which helps to conserve natural resources and reduce energy consumption.
Other Materials
There are a few other materials that can be used in tablet screen protectors, including PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). While these plastics may offer some of the same general benefits as tempered glass or laminated tempered glass, they also tend to add more thickness to your device. This can be a problem if you’re using a form-fitting case for your tablet.
Most of these plastic screen protectors come with an anti-glare coating that cuts down on annoying reflections caused by bright lights. Some also feature an oleophobic coating that helps keep fingerprints and dirt off the screen. Some are even infused with silver for added anti-microbial protection.
Other types of tablet screen protectors are designed to improve your experience with your device rather than protect it from damage. For example, a Paperlike screen protector simulates the feel of drawing on paper and is ideal for artists, students and notetaking enthusiasts who use their tablets with a stylus. The reduced friction helps prevent hand fatigue and enables you to write faster, which can boost productivity. There are also privacy-focused screen protectors that allow you to view your own content while blocking the display from anyone else who is nearby. These are useful if you’re working remotely from home or work, checking email while on the go, or making purchases online.
