Liquid Crystal Display - How Environmentally Sustainable: A overview

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD) TECHNOLOGY HAS RAPIDLY BECOME A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF MODERN ELECTRONICS. IT OFFERS SOLUTION TO THE RISING NEED OF LOW POWER-CONSUMING, SPACE-SAVING AND BETTER DISPLAY DEVICES, THEREBY PAVING THE WAY FOR SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. HOWEVER, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE END OF LIFE OF LCD PRODUCTS SHOULD BE JUDICIOUSLY ASSESSED, SO THAT THEY DO NOT BECOME A HAZARD IN NEAR FUTURE. IN THIS PAPER AN ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN DONE TO ANALYZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE LCD TECHNOLOGY. THE MATERIALS USED IN PRODUCTION, MANUFACTURING, SUBASSEMBLIES AND COMPOSITION ITSELF HAVE BEEN FOUND HAZARDOUS IN NATURE. THE RECYCLING METHODS FOR CATHODE RAY TUBE (CRT), A PREDECESSOR OF LCD ARE WELL ESTABLISHED; HOWEVER THOSE OF LCDS ARE AS YET TO BE EXPLORED IN RIGHT EARNEST. TWO PRINCIPLE COMPONENTS OF LCD I.E. MERCURY AND LIQUID CRYSTALS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO BIODEGRADE. WITH THE INCREASED APPLICATION OF LCD TECHNOLOGY THE SIZEABLE AGGREGATION OF HAZARDOUS COMPONENTS HAS PUT UP A QUESTION MARK ON THE LONG TERM USE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY ESPECIALLY IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES. MODERN CONSCIOUS SOCIETY IS KEEN TO KNOW THAT HOW MUCH THE PRODUCT IS POLLUTING THE AIR AND SOIL DURING ITS PRODUCTION OR IN USE OR AFTER DISPOSAL. THE COST OF CERTAIN DESIGN AND PROCESS CHANGE IN MANUFACTURING FOR GREEN PRODUCT MIGHT HOWEVER BE COSTING SUBSTANTIALLY IN SOME CASES. THUS, CONSCIOUS REVIEW OF CHEMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF LCD WITH OTHER DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES CAN LAY THE FOUNDATION TO DEVELOP A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE MEETING THE TWIN NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS OF ECONOMIC VIABILITY AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FOR GENERATIONS.