cheap asian supplier for EL electroluminescent backlight (or LED replacement)?

[Greybeard]

I need an EL backlight panel ~80x125mm for an Optrex DMF 682A liquid crystal dot display.
I searched ebay for chinese suppliers, but they were 12-20$ +19%VAT (not much cheaper than local suppliers in Germany).
Is there something like a LED replacement for such EL foil type panel? Panel thickness is max. 2mm.
Can I cut EL foil to needed dimensions?
Do I need to seal cut edges? Zinc sulfide is said to be hydroscopic.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Can I cut EL foil to needed dimensions?

Yes

Do I need to seal cutted edges? Zinc oxide is said to be hydroscopic.

Yes, but not sure how practical it is to get a good enough seal - laminating pouch perhaps?

[james_s]

About 10 years ago I replaced the EL strip backlighting the display in my Pro-2004 scanner radio. I bought a strip from China, cut it to size with scissors and folded a strip of clear packing tape around the whole display in an attempt to seal it. I actually doubt the tape accomplishes much, it's not going to keep humidity out. So far so good though, it doesn't get a great deal of use but it still looks as good as the day I installed it.

[Greybeard]

It's nice to hear of a working "tape sealed" EL strip after ten years!

Laminating pouches
Yes, I thought about laminating, because the defective original EL foil looks like a laminating pouch.
I'm not quite sure, how laminating pouches work exactly. Is it 2 layers of one material, that is molten by heat and pressed together, or is it 2 outer layers of non-melting material and one or two additional inner layer(s) that are molten and then pressed together?

What about using clear nail polish or cellulose lacquer to seal the cut edges?

[james_s]

Laminating pouches are a sheet of material that has been folded in half with the inner sides coated in a heat activated adhesive. You open it up, insert the item you want to laminate, fold it back closed and then run it through the machine which has heated rollers that fuses everything together.

I'm not sure I'd want to try coating the edges with something liquid, that may flow up inside the EL strip by capillary action.

[Greybeard]

Then laminating the cut sheet probably is the way to go.
I hope the hot rollers will not degrade the performance of the "phosphor" (=zinc sulfide).

[james_s]

Well it only takes a few seconds to go through the machine. I suppose you could pick up a small cheap strip and run it through the laminator at various speeds and temperatures and see when/if it fails or noticeably degrades.