With the continuous expansion of capacitive touch screens in industrial, Marine, military and outdoor equipment and other fields, its performance in high salt spray and high humidity environment has become an important indicator to evaluate its quality. These environments are challenging and can lead to corrosion of touch screen circuits, performance degradation and even device failure. Therefore, in order to ensure the stability and durability of capacitive touch screens, manufacturers have adopted a series of innovative measures in terms of materials, design and technology.
High salt spray and high humidity environments challenge capacitive touch screens
Corrosion of metal parts
The sodium chloride particles in the salt spray are highly corrosive, which can easily lead to the oxidation or corrosion of metal parts such as touch screen electrodes and connectors, thus damaging the electrical performance.
Water vapor intrusion
High humidity may cause water vapor to condense inside the touch screen, resulting in short circuit, material aging, or decreased touch sensitivity.
Insulation degradation
The combined action of water vapor and salt spray may degrade the insulation layer of the touch screen, thus affecting the stability of signal transmission.
Degradation of surface properties
After prolonged exposure to high salt spray, the touch screen surface coating may lose its protective ability, leading to an increased risk of scratches and contamination.
The key technology to improve the resistance of capacitive touch screen to salt spray and humidity
1. Selection of high-performance materials
Corrosion-resistant conductive material
Touch screen electrode materials are gradually transitioning from traditional ITO (indium tin oxide) to materials with higher corrosion resistance, such as graphene, silver nanowires or metal mesh. These new materials not only have good electrical conductivity, but also excellent corrosion resistance.
Wet resistant substrate material
The use of substrate materials with excellent moisture resistance, such as high-strength glass (such as Corning Gorilla Glass) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, can effectively reduce the impact of moisture on the touchscreen structure.
2. Advanced coating technology
Salt spray resistant coating
The surface of the touch screen can be added to the salt spray resistance coating, such as silica based nano coating or fluoride coating. These coatings create a protective barrier on the screen surface, preventing chloride particles in the salt spray from directly touching the screen surface.
Hydrophobic and oleophobic coating
The application of coating technologies with high hydrophobicity, such as nanocoatings, allows water droplets to roll quickly on the surface of the screen, avoiding water retention for a long time and reducing the risk of corrosion.
3. Improve the packaging process
Full fit technology
The full fit process eliminates the air layer by seamlessly combining the touch layer with the display layer. This not only improves the visual effect of the screen, but also prevents the intrusion of water vapor and salt spray.
Seal border design
The highly sealed bezel design prevents external moisture and salt spray from penetrating into the internal structure of the touch screen.
4. Intelligent environment adaptation technology
Humidity sensing and adaptive regulation
Through the built-in humidity sensor, the touch screen can monitor the ambient humidity in real time, and optimize the touch performance by adjusting the circuit parameters, reducing the impact of moisture on touch operation.
Salt spray detection and early warning system
The integrated salt spray detection module in the touch screen can monitor the salt spray concentration in the environment and remind users to take protective measures through alarms.
5. Rigorous weather resistance testing
During the design and production phase, the touch screen must pass a series of rigorous weather resistance tests:
Salt spray test
Simulate salt spray conditions in the Marine environment to test the corrosion resistance of the screen during long-term exposure.
High humidity test
Simulate the operating environment under high humidity conditions to ensure the performance stability of the screen after a long time of use.
Thermal shock test
The ability of the screen to adapt to dramatic temperature changes is tested to ensure its stable operation in complex environments.
Typical application of capacitive touch screen in high salt spray and high humidity environment
Marine equipment
Ship navigation systems, radar displays, and deep-sea detection equipment need touch screens to operate steadily in the Marine environment with high salt spray and high humidity for a long time.
Military equipment
Military equipment for coastal or aquatic operations requires touch screens to be extremely weather-resistant to extreme environmental conditions.
Outdoor information terminal
Outdoor advertising screens, ticket vending machines and other equipment in coastal areas need to have salt spray resistance and moisture resistance to extend equipment life and reduce maintenance costs.
Industrial control system
High humidity industrial environments (such as chemical plants, food processing plants) put forward strict requirements for the moisture resistance of touch screens.
Future development trend
New composite material application
The development of composite materials with high electrical conductivity and superior weather resistance, such as graphene coatings and carbon nanotube films, will further enhance the performance of touch screens.
Self-healing technique
Future screen coatings may have self-healing capabilities that can repair their protection when the coating is damaged, thus enhancing the durability of the screen.
Artificial intelligence-driven environmental adaptation technology
With the introduction of artificial intelligence technology, the touch screen can be more intelligently adapted to various extreme environments, adjusting its performance in real time to ensure the best user experience.
Modular design
For different environmental requirements, the touch screen may develop a modular design scheme, such as a replaceable coating module or a reinforced border design, to meet a variety of application scenarios.
Conclusion
High salt spray and high humidity environments pose serious challenges to the stability and durability of capacitive touch screens, but these challenges are gradually being overcome through the integrated application of material innovation, coating optimization, packaging technology improvements and intelligent adaptation technologies. In the future, with the introduction of new technologies and the improvement of test standards, capacitive touch screens will perform better in extreme environments, laying a solid foundation for their wide application in Marine, military, industrial and other fields.