Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 02 Mar 2014 12:55:11 +0000, N_Cook wrote:

Cause and any amelioration, short of draining the liquid and starting
again (for elfin safety in nothing else), and of course unobtanium
replacement displays

Where I used to work a batch of early large LCD display Philips DVM
meters for the engineers.
Every now and then , despite warning labels, someone would leave one in
direct sunlight (UK version) for a while and the display would become
next to useless, permanently.
Presumably the LC migrates out of its assigned wells and does not go
back in them. Anyone know of a localised heat/cold/pressure treatment or
something like that ,at least, won't make matters worse , and may
actually improve the splodge a bit?

LCD panels have a slots at the bottom of the glass to help equalize
inside to outside air pressure. If it were sealed shut, your laptop
or tablet display would explode at altitude.

One of my non-clever mistakes is to clean the screen of a warm running
laptop display with a soapy water while in the upright position. As
the screen cools, the soapy water is sucked into the panel via the
bottom slots. Eventually, LCD leprosy forms along the bottom of the
display. I have several panels like that, all from an office where
the cleaning service washed down the LCD displays every night as part
of the service.

I would speculate (which means I haven't tried doing this) that it
would be possible to use the partial vacuum effect to replenish the
liquid in the display. I have no idea what's in the liquid or where
to obtain a supply. Just remove the lower part of the panel frame,
heat the panel, dump into some warm LCD liquid, and hope that it sucks
the liquid into the panel as it cools. LCD Panel Rejuvenator (patent
pending).

The LCD panel manufactures could probably prevent the problem by
simply adding a foam sponge along the slot to act as a reservoir.

Incidentally, the fluid is reputed to be sticky and toxic.

it's oily for sure, and busted open LCDs smell bad but that may be from
the 5000 layers of adhesive and plastic sheets that make them. Old
calculator displays were a bit simpler, but still had a foul smell when
smashed up.