Samsung launched its first QD-OLED panel three years ago, and it has made several improvements to the technology since then. Now, the company seems to be making efficiency-related improvements so that it can manufacture QD-OLED panels cheaper, which can bring down the cost of QD-OLED TVs.

Samsung Display found a way to recycle Quantum Dot ink used in QD-OLED panels

Samsung Display has announced it has developed quantum dot ink recycling technology. This process can recover and process 80% of the quantum dot ink that was earlier wasted during the QD-OLED manufacturing process. In this process, dense layers of red and green quantum dot ink are deposited through an inkjet printing process. The ink is sprayed through micrometer-sized nozzles, and roughly 20% of that ink is usually left over in the nozzles.

The South Korean firm formed a team of engineers from the research lab, development, procurement, manufacturing, and environment safety sections to study how to reduce this wastage. In August 2024, the team developed a quantum dot recycling facility. The wasted ink undergoes several processes to revive its optical quality and purity. Tests have shown that recovered and original ink have the same performance levels.

Samsung says it can save up to KRW 10 billion (~$7.3 million) annually with its recycling technology. The company plans to use several other technologies to improve performance and reduce the cost of manufacturing QD-OLED panels for TVs and monitors. With these steps, Samsung wants to make QD-OLED more competitive amid rising competition in the OLED panel segment.

Samsung Display's Seongbong Kim said, “With Samsung Display’s QD-OLED receiving rave reviews, we are using more QD ink than ever before. By developing this groundbreaking technology that recycles high-quality QD ink in-house, we will significantly contribute not only to cost reduction but also to resource recycling.“

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