Munich, Germany-based chemical company Wacker Chemie AG has developed TECTOSIL, a new thermoplastic encapsulant for the manufacture of photovoltaic modules.
The silicone-based elastic polymer sheet is thermo-formable and, therefore, fast and easy to process, the company says. It is non-corrosive and can be used with any type of module to provide effective protection against mechanical and chemical stresses.
Wacker Chemie adds that the polymer is chemically stable, which minimizes the risk of clouding or yellowing. The sheet does not contain catalysts and, upon contact with moisture, does not produce any substances that might initiate corrosion or damage surfaces. This allows the sheet to be used for encapsulating solar cells containing films of compound semiconductors (e.g. copper indium gallium diselenide or cadmium telluride) or other highly sensitive chemical substances (such as transparent conductive oxides)
Wacker Chemie: 49 8962791830
SOURCE: Wacker Chemie