# What is this wacky gel-like clear plastic on cell phone display screen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-wacky-gel-like-clear-plastic-on-cell-phone-display-screen/207267>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 13, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-wacky-gel-like-clear-plastic-on-cell-phone-display-screen/207267 "2003-10-13T21:53:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-wacky-gel-like-clear-plastic-on-cell-phone-display-screen/207267/1 "2003-10-13T21:53:33Z")

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I’ve got a Motorola 193 cell phone. The LCD display plate is covered in a clear plastic that has a rubbery, gel-like feel to it. It seems to scratch very, very easily, but the scratches seem to “heal” over time. This sounds great, I know, but the display also easily gets little scrapes that make the coating look like it’s shedding its skin. All very, very odd. Is it supposed to be like this?

**NOTE:** The is NOT a case of my failure to remove the protective sheet of clear (or blue) plastic “Saran wrap” that manufacturers put on electronic displays to prevent their scratching during transport. I know all about that and I removed it long ago.

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**Author:** ![An\_Lu\_abu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@An\_Lu\_abu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Lu_abu)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-wacky-gel-like-clear-plastic-on-cell-phone-display-screen/207267/2 "2003-10-13T22:01:20Z")

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It may be overmoulded or coextruded with a ‘soft touch’ TPU- thermoplastic urethane elastomer. This is pretty common in automotive applications, although I admit I haven’t seen it on clear display applications. It is technically feasible though. I have coextruded clear TPU over PET for angioplasty balloons. This would also explain the delamination you’re seeing.

My 0.02$

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**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-wacky-gel-like-clear-plastic-on-cell-phone-display-screen/207267/3 "2003-10-14T06:42:15Z")

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If things get blurry, you can even buy a contact lens (apparently made of some soft material)

[http://www.thephonemonocle.com/](http://www.thephonemonocle.com/)