United Initiators Peroxides Help Solar Panel PVM Encapsulates Perform Better
With nearly 100 years of experience in the development and application of crosslinking agents that enhance polymer compounds, United Initiators is a leading knowledge resource for those seeking performance enhancements in photovoltaic module encapsulates used in solar panels.
United Initiators (UI), with facilities in Elyria, Ohio; Mobile, Alabama; Pullach, Germany; Syndey, Australia; and Shanghai, China, is the specialist in customized organic peroxides and inorganic persulfate initiators. Peroxides and other cross-linking agents are the sole focus of the company's business, which is set up to supply products to solar panel manufacturers around the world.
The company's scientists and technicians develop initiators that enhance solar panels' photovoltaic module (PVM) encapsulates, which protect the silicon wafers that capture and convert the sun's light energy into electricity.
As the industry's knowledge leader, UI is often asked about the role that initiators perform in the capture and conversion of solar energy within solar panels. The company is able to work with compounders and manufacturers to enhance the materials they make for the solar panel industry.
"Initiators add stability to the encapsulate material around the silicon wafers, the power generators in solar panels' photovoltaic modules," said Onofrio Palazzolo, the company's commercial manager. "Initiators, or cross-linking peroxides, enhance the films used to protect the silicon wafers by making the films resistant to ultraviolet light degradation. The result is that the film resists discoloration – yellowing or hazing – that prevents the maximum amount of sunlight from entering the silicon wafer."
United Initiators customizes peroxide initiators in special packaging and special quantities, including one-gallon bottles.
Compounders and solar panel manufacturers who require custom crosslinking peroxides rely on UI to meet customers' needs. Cross-linking, which is a critical component in PVM encapsulates, improves the physical properties which resist degradation.
"Customers are looking for room-temperature processing agents, or initiators," Palazzolo said. "The desire is to get to room temperature, and we are making progress toward that end."
Solar panels' photovoltaic modules rely on the transmission of light to produce electricity. Due to the low conversion rates of current PVMs, much of the sunlight energy is wasted, making the encapsulates' light transmission properties critical.
Encapsulant material serves two primary purposes. The encapsulate mechanically binds cell strings to the glass cover so they maintain their positions over the life of the module. The encapsulate also performs as an optical bridge, thus avoiding an air-glass interface that can cause a substantial reduction in the amount of sunlight energy that reaches the solar cell.
The encapsulant is an integral structural material, and in addition, must protect the solar cell and be designed for maximum protection over an extended period of time. More importantly, encapsulants must be able to resist discoloration – yellowing or hazing – that reduces the amount of useable sunlight energy that enters the solar cell. It must also be durable enough to last 20 years or more without degrading or debonding from the glass or silicon within the solar panel.
Many different materials can be used for encapsulation, but the preferred material is EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). The encapsulant is a cross-linkable ethylene vinyl acetate. The crosslinking agents improve the performance of the encapsulants.
Peroxides are chosen based on the temperature of decomposition. The goal is to use a cross-linking agent based on a desired decomposition temperature and thus keep the heat of the process as low as possible in order to save energy. United Initiators makes every effort to determine optimum manufacturing conditions to determine the best peroxide.
Peroxides have a proven track record in the polymer industry, which historically has used the same initiators. The TBPEHC product used for solar panels has become the standard.
Palazzolo said United Initiators' experts can provide counsel on how much initiator peroxide to add, as well as which temperature range provides the best curing. United Initiators also serves as an expert resource to train customers' people in how to use peroxides to gain maximum performance, quality and stability.
For more information, visit www.PVMEncapsulates.com.
For more information, contact:
Onofrio Palazzolo
440-326-2413
onofrio.palazzolo@united-in.com
Jack Wollitz
330-492-5500
jack@innismaggiore.com
SOURCE: United Initiators