TECTOSIL®,
a new thermoplastic encapsulant for the manufacture of photovoltaic
modules, provides sensitive solar cells with effective and long-lasting
protection against mechanical and chemical stresses. It is non-corrosive
and can be used with any type of module. Tectosil is a flexible, highly
transparent and electrically insulating sheet comprising a silicone-organo
copolymer. Because of its thermoplastic properties, this silicone-based
polymer can be processed quickly and inexpensively without curing or
chemical reactions. The lamination process thus benefits from short
production cycles and a high tolerance to local temperature differences
within the laminator.
Tectosil sheets help to lower
manufacturing costs and ensure that modules are produced in consistently
high quality. Solar cells encapsulated in Tectosil are afforded optimum
protection against mechanical and chemical stresses. The material bonds
the components of a PV module into a stable laminate. Since it is highly
elastic and extremely flexible across a very large temperature range,
it can compensate the different thermal expansions of the laminate materials.
For more information, visitwww.wacker.com.
WACKER: Thermoplastic Encapsulant (7/22/09)
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