Jan 21 2010
Saflex announced the commercial availability of a new thin gauge polyvinyl butyral (PVB) based encapsulant that has been specifically designed for photovoltaic applications. Saflex PA41 reduces the use of an encapsulant and at the same time maintains the durability of the module and processing performance.
Saflex PA41 was launched globally after the successful completion of the IEC 61646 certification testing on thin film photovoltaic modules manufactured with the Saflex encapsulant. Saflex PA41 has been recently added to a growing portfolio of improved encapsulants that are specifically designed for photovoltaic applications.
Matt Rose, Market Development Manager of Saflex, remarked that the company has developed a strong PVB-based encapsulant that has passed a number of tests such as the reliability and durability test program and tests that went beyond the standard industry testing. Rose stated that module manufacturers can continue to produce photovoltaic modules with high quality and reduced usage of an encapsulant. Saflex is taking advantage of its experience for the past 80 years in the PVB-based products and process development for architectural and automotive markets to develop innovative solutions for photovoltaic applications.
The thickness of the encapsulant is reduced by 33% with the usage of Saflex PA41, which is a second generation photovoltaic product specifically designed for this purpose. To achieve this feature, the properties of the Saflex PA41 formulation were developed to bring about improvements in the encapsulating flow around bus bars and other vital components.
Francois Koran, Photovoltaic Development Manager, remarked that the most important objective in the entire development process was to make sure that the performance and long-term durability provided by a thin gauge encapsulant is similar to that provided by thicker gauge encapsulants while sustaining high encapsulation yields.
Saflex has also developed a range of accelerated and natural weathering tests in addition to the successful UL and IEC testing. Saflex has also established partnerships with module manufacturers to make sure that the handling, processing and throughput of Saflex PA41 either fulfills or exceeds the expectations in comparison with thicker gauge PVB encapsulations. Perfect encapsulation process and high yields were achieved through the trial processing guidance and on-site education provided by Saflex.
Source: www.saflex.com