Sep 21 2009
At the 24th Photovoltaic Solar Energy Exhibition held in Hamburg from 21 to 25 September 2009, Arkema presents its latest innovation for the photovoltaics market: Apolhya™ Solar, a nanostructured thermoplastic polymer for the encapsulation of new generation photovoltaic modules. Apolhya™ Solar combines thermo-mechanical properties, adhesiveness, creep resistance, and perfect transparency.
Apolhya™ Solar is part of the Apolhya™ range, a new family of nanostructured polymers developed by Arkema. This thermoplastic is compatible with processes used to manufacture solar panels based on crystalline silicon or thin layers. One key advantage is that its processing requires no curing. This therefore saves time in the production process, while making end-of-life panels very easy to recycle.
Apolhya™ Solar offers an unrivalled set of properties compared to the other thermoplastics suitable for solar panel encapsulation. The nanostructuring of Apolhya™ Solar ensures excellent long-term transparency. Furthermore, thanks to its easy processing, its adhesion properties, its prolonged heat resistance (its creep resistance is excellent up to 120°C), its UV stability and its low permeability, Apolhya™ Solar is highly suitable for « thin-layer » photovoltaic panels, including flexible modules, and particularly for continuous lamination processes.
A wide range of Apolhya™ Solar grades is available based on various melt temperatures, viscosity, transparency and barrier properties, while other grades can be tailored to specific requirements.
More information on www.apolhyasolar.com