Cheaper QD-OLED TVs and monitors may be on the way, partly thanks to Samsung’s new recycling tech

DA Gadgets October 29, 2024 Televisions

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Recycling
isn’t
just
better
for
the
environment.
It
could
make
some
of
the

best
OLED
TVs
cheaper
too.

That’s
the
news
coming
from

Samsung
Display,
which
says
it’s
developed
technology
that
can
very
efficiently
recycle
quantum
dot
ink
that
would
be
wasted
in
the
manufacturing
process.
That’s
a
crucial
component
of
QD-OLED
panels,
and
the
new
tech
means
it
can
now
recover
and
process
80%
of
the
ink
that
would
normally
be
lost
during
manufacturing.
That
should
mean
more
affordable
QD-OLED
TVs,
when
combined
with
other
developments.

Why
Samsung
is
thinking
ink

Making
a
QD-OLED
display
uses
a
lot
of
ink.
As

Samsung
explains,
the
quantum
dot
layer
is
made
using
an
inkjet
printing
process
that
sprays
red
and
green
QD
ink
through
micrometer-sized
nozzles.

Quantum
dots,
before
they
go
in
the
TV.

(Image
credit:
Samsung
Display)

Until
now
roughly
20%
of
that
ink
ended
up
stuck
in
the
nozzles
and
then
discarded.
When
you
think
how
many
panels
Samsung
makes,
that
represents
an
awful
lot
of
waste
and
an
awful
lot
of
money.
So
recovering
and
re-using
four-fifths
of
it
means
lower
costs.

The
new
recycling
process
isn’t
some
far-future
idea;
it’s
being
used
right
now
on
Samsung’s
QD-OLED
production
line.
And
according
to
Samsung
the
recycled
QD
ink
is
just
as
good
as
the
original:
it
“undergoes
advanced
synthesis
technology
that
revives
its
purity
and
optical
properties”,
delivering
the
same
performance
as
the
original
QD
ink.

There
are
more
improvements
to
come,
Samsung
says:
it’s
focused
on
improving
productivity
and
yield
on
the
production
of
QD-OLED
screens
in
general,
which
are
key
factors
in
panel
prices
on
the

best
TVs
and
the

best
gaming
monitors
(where
QD-OLED
is
also
proving
to
be
a
huge
hit).
The
more
efficient
the
production,
the
lower
the
cost
per
panel
–
and
the
lower
the
cost
of
the
TV
it
ends
up
in.

The
recycling
process
won’t
have
a
huge
change
on
its
own,
but
when
combined
with
lots
of
other
small
changes,
we
could
get
the
more
budget
QD-OLED
we’ve
been
hoping
for.
In
the
meantime,
if
you
want
a
cheaper
QD-OLED,
you’ll
have
to
keep
an
eye
on
the