Photovoltaics Market

Evatane^® polymers are ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resins with a high vinyl acetate content. In the make-up of solar panels, EVAs provide the adhesion of the various layers (glass, silicon, backsheet) and the protection of silicon cells and electrical circuits. Evatane^® polymers offer the ideal characteristics of durability and stability over time for the encapsulation of the panels: outstanding transparency related to the production process, high UV resistance, good electrical insulation, and good crosslinking ability.

Arkema recently developed organic peroxide grades for the crosslinking of EVA used in the encapsulation of photovoltaic cells. Luperox^® organic peroxides are used as crosslinking agents in Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA) encapsulant film where it crosslinks the EVA film during the lamination cycle of photovoltaic (PV) module production.

Kynar^® PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is a fluorinated polymer used in the manufacture of the film making up the backsheet of the panels. It ensures the durability of photovoltaic cells while increasing their yield. Its main assets include straightforward processing, UV resistance over time, resistance to moisture and temperature fluctuations, and a stable white color to help reflect the light towards the silicon.

Arkema's Certincoat^® Glass Coatings scientists, using state-of-the-art equipment, utilize several small-scale CVD coaters to create coated-glass samples and develop new processes and chemistries for transparent conductive oxides (TCO) for thin-film photovoltaic modules. The laboratory coating systems are designed to enable deposition using various chemicals and coating conditions to achieve the performance needed for TCO applications. Our coating systems are designed to simulate conditions encountered on line, such as the movement of the substrate in a continuous process, to better assure successful transfer to online equipment.

The high cost of solar panels is linked to the price of silicon. Researchers are looking to develop panels that produce just as much energy but with less silicon: one of the solutions consists in using lenses which focus the light onto narrow strips of silicon. PMMA becomes totally relevant in this context: glass lenses are heavy and difficult to manufacture, while PMMA, with its excellent transparency, easy moulding, and durability, can be used to manufacture lenses that concentrate light efficiently and so help enhance the effectiveness of photovoltaic panels while reducing their cost as a smaller amount of silicon is needed. Altuglas International offers Altuglas^® HT 121, a product that is unique on the market, which can withstand temperatures of up to 100. This high temperature resistant grade can also be used for the manufacture of frontsheets for standard technology photovoltaic panels, replacing glass and so reducing the weight of the module.