Outer edge seal of module

Abstract

Outer edge seals are used at the outer edges of different modules to reduce the permeation of moisture and reactant gases to extend the life of the modules. The sealed module may be a photovoltaic module, a hollow glass unit, a screen, a dynamic glass product, a switchable window, an electrochromic window, a thin film transistor, or other module that uses an article between substrates. The edge seal includes a dry adhesive carried by a barrier film to form a tape. A vapor barrier layer may be placed along or around an edge of a sealing module and against a portion of an exterior substrate surface of the sealing module to provide a dry seal, which provides or extends a dry path through which wet vapor must pass prior to permeation of an interior space of the sealing module.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 346,170, filed May 26, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background of the Invention 1. Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to seals used on the exterior of different types of modules to reduce moisture vapor and gas permeation into the module to extend the life of the module. More specifically, the present invention relates to dry adhesive outer edge seals or tapes that can be placed on or around the edges of sealed or unsealed modules to provide or extend a dry barrier path that limits moisture vapor and air permeation. In particular, the present invention relates to sealing the edges of modules, such as photovoltaic modules, using a dry polymer adhesive carried by a barrier film having at least a low moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR).

[0005] 2. Background Information

[0006] Sealed modules comprising a spacer substrate sealed around the peripheral edge of the sealed module are used in photovoltaic modules, hollow glass units for windows, thin film transistors and screens such as organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens. Sealed modules are also used in dynamic glass products, switchable windows and electrochromic windows. The substrate forming the sealed module can be glass, polymer, metal or a combination of materials. The sealed internal space of these modules is sensitive to the penetration of moisture and oxygen, or in the case of hollow glass units, sensitive to the loss of filling gas such as argon. The life of the module is shortened as wet vapor enters the module, the filling gas escapes or the reactive gas such as oxygen enters the module. Therefore, these sealed modules have a common demand, that is, the internal space defined between the substrate and the edge seal must be sealed. In particular, the internal space of different modules needs to be sealed to resist the entry of wet vapor and oxygen. As shown in Figure 1, a solution is to use a dry inner edge sealant 30 directly between the substrates 16 and 18 of the module to create a dry path for wet vapor, which allows the desiccant to significantly reduce the movement of wet vapor through the inner edge seal 30 into the internal space or component 19 of the module. The disadvantage of this solution is that the width of the inner edge seal reduces the area of ​​substrate available for use by applying the sealed module. A wide seal is required to prevent moisture vapor, while a narrow seal is required to increase the available surface area of ​​the module.

[0007] Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert light energy, especially solar energy, into electrical energy. Photovoltaic generated electrical energy can be used in the same way as electricity generated by batteries or obtained from an established power grid, but it is a renewable form of electrical energy. The generation of electricity using photovoltaic devices only requires sunlight. Various types of photovoltaic devices include at least one photovoltaic module having a photovoltaic active layer carried on a substrate such as glass, plastic or metal. The photovoltaic active elements are covered by an additional substantially light-transmissive substrate to allow sunlight to reach the active elements. The substrate is referred to as a sheet, plate or layer. The substrate may be a substantially rigid or flexible glass sheet such as float glass, soda-lime glass or low-iron glass, a durable strong polymeric material such as polyimide, or a metal sheet or film such as aluminum, steel, titanium, chromium, iron, etc.

[0008] Photovoltaic module manufacturers use various techniques to delay the introduction of moisture vapor into the photovoltaic module and protect the active layer from moisture. Moisture inside the photovoltaic module can cause several problems that affect the performance of the module. These problems include, but are not limited to, efficiency loss, corrosion, and functional loss. One technique to delay the entry of moisture vapor is to encapsulate the active elements. Another technique is to apply a dry butyl peripheral edge seal within the peripheral edge between the two substrates. The edge seal can be used for both rigid and flexible substrates. The peripheral edge seal delays the presence of moisture in the module. Another technique is to apply a sealant to the frame and then embed the module in the sealant so that the sealant flows around the module. This method is ineffective in keeping moisture out of the module interior. It is easy to embed in a silicone sealant, but silicone sealants are highly permeable to moisture. Hot melt butyl sealants penetrate slightly less, but cool quickly, so it is difficult to form a good bond and barrier, and the path into the module can be short-circuited. Hot melt butyl also does not contain the required desiccant to achieve the required effective permeability of at least 25 years of durability.

[0009] Insulating glass units typically include glass substrates, sheets, panels or layers separated by internal perimeter spacers that define an internal chamber between the substrates. The internal chamber may be filled with an inert gas such as argon. The internal spacers provide sufficient structural support to space the substrates and include some type of desiccant to minimize the ingress of moisture vapor into the internal chamber.

[0010] Some video screens also use sealed modules with active layers placed between substrates. These can be used on small screens such as watches and handheld computers and in large video displays. One type is an OLED screen that can be configured for small devices such as watches or handheld computers (phones or gaming devices) to large video displays (flat-panel TVs or other video displays). OLED devices typically include one or more organic light-emitting layers placed between electrodes. For example, a first contact and a second contact, such as a cathode and a light-transmitting anode, are formed on a substrate. Light is emitted when a current is applied across the cathode and anode. As photons of light are generated and emitted, the photons move through the organic layers. Those that move toward the cathode, which usually contains metal, can be reflected back into the organic layers. However, those photons that move through the organic layers to the light-transmitting anode and ultimately to the substrate can be emitted from the OLED in the form of light energy. OLED devices can be mounted on rigid substrates such as glass, or are generally flexible, i.e., can be bent into a shape with a radius of curvature. Oxygen and moisture are particularly harmful to OLED structures. Oxygen or moisture intrusion into OLED devices causes black spots, reduced illumination, etc. Therefore, it is important to create an airtight seal around the OLED panel to minimize the potential for oxygen and moisture to enter. Areas of particular concern are along the perimeter edge of an OLED device or panel where the lamination edges of adjacent layers of the OLED device's structure are potentially exposed and may experience oxygen and / or moisture ingress. When an inner perimeter seal is used, the seal must be compatible with the organic light emitting layer(s) and the electrodes.

[0011] Other sealed module applications include dynamic glass products, switchable windows, electrochromic windows and thin film transistors. These and other sealed modules benefit from improved edge sealing. Summary of the invention

[0012] The present invention provides outer edge seals for use on or around the outer edges of different types of modules to reduce the penetration of moisture vapor and reactive gases such as oxygen, thereby extending the life of the module. The sealed module may be a photovoltaic module, an insulating glass unit for a window, a screen, a dynamic glass product, a switchable window, an electrochromic window, a thin film transistor, or other modules using articles between substrates (sealed to resist moisture vapor and air). The outer edge seal comprises a dry adhesive carried by a barrier film to form a strip. The seal may be placed along the edge of the sealed module or around the edge and against a portion of the outer substrate surface of the sealed module to provide a dry seal, which provides or extends a dry path that the moisture vapor must pass before penetrating the interior space of the module. The vapor barrier layer may be used alone or in combination with an inner edge seal. The inner seal may be dry or non-dry. The inner seal may have a low MVTR or a high MVTR.

[0013] The present invention provides different configurations of outer edge seals for sealing the periphery of modules such as photovoltaic modules. In an exemplary configuration, the seal is provided with a moisture barrier tape (MBT) comprising a dry adhesive carried on a film. When tested according to IEC 62788-6-2, the dry adhesive has a breakthrough time (BTT) T10% of >4 hours at 85°C / 100% RH tested with a 1mm thick adhesive. The composition of the adhesive varies in different configurations. In one example, the adhesive is an olefin polymer. In another example, the adhesive is an isobutylene-based polymer adhesive. The percentage of desiccant varies in different configurations. The construction of the film varies in different configurations. In one example, the film can be made of a material with a low or very low moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR). The film can be a thin foil, such as a metal foil or a metallized / metallized material. The film can be a plastic film, a laminated plastic film, or a plastic film or a laminated plastic film with a coating such as a ceramic coating.

[0014] In one configuration, the present invention provides a photovoltaic module having a dry outer edge seal that covers at least the outer edge of the module to seal the module from moisture in conjunction with an internal seal or as the primary seal of the module. The dry outer edge seal may also wrap around the edge of the module to engage a portion of the outer surface of its substrate, thereby extending the ingress path of moisture vapor.

[0015] One configuration of the outer edge seal is applied after the photovoltaic module is laminated. In this configuration, the outer edge seal is applied to the front and rear surfaces and the contact portion of the outer edge, thereby placing the film and dry butyl adhesive in the path that moisture vapor must pass to enter the module. This delays the intrusion of moisture. This can replace or supplement the internal seal located between the module substrates. In another configuration, the outer edge seal is applied to the outer edge surface without wrapping the front and rear surfaces. Both configurations can be received in a protective frame.

[0016] The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a sealed module, such as a photovoltaic module, in which the assembly line is stopped to provide time to manually or automatically add an outer edge seal to the perimeter of the module.

[0017] The present invention provides a method for assembling sealed modules such as photovoltaic modules with outer edge seals, wherein the modules are continuously moved along a conveyor direction. The continuous manufacturing method is a roll-to-roll process. In this process, the modules are not stopped, so the edges perpendicular to the conveyor direction must receive the outer edge seals in different ways. In one configuration, the outer edge seals are applied around the entire periphery of the module after the module has been cut and removed from the continuous assembly conveyor. In other configurations, the edges of the modules parallel to the conveyor direction receive the outer edge seals as the modules move along the assembly conveyor, while the edges perpendicular to the conveyor receive the outer edge seals after the modules are cut and removed from the conveyor. In other configurations, as the modules move along the assembly conveyor, the edges of the modules parallel to the conveyor direction receive the sealant (inner edge seal 30) pumped between the substrates, while the edges perpendicular to the conveyor receive the outer edge seals after the modules are cut and removed from the conveyor.

[0018] The present invention provides a method of increasing the available surface area of ​​a sealing module by reducing the width of the inner edge seal and increasing the outer edge seal, which compensates for the sealing performance lost by reducing the width of the inner edge seal. The benefit is more available surface area, while the disadvantage is a thicker edge. An additional benefit is that in some embodiments, the outer edge seal can have a different composition than the inner edge seal, because the function of the outer edge seal is mainly the breakthrough time, while the inner seal may have additional functions that must be balanced due to its composition.

[0019] The individual features described below may be combined in combinations different from those explicitly described below, thereby forming different configurations of the device of the present invention. The position and quantity of items may vary. The aforementioned non-limiting aspects of the present invention and others are described in more detail below. A more comprehensive understanding of the device, assembly, and method may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not intended to indicate the relative sizes and dimensions of the assemblies. In those drawings and the following description, similar numerical designations refer to assemblies with similar functions. The specific terms used in the description are intended only to refer to the specific structures of the embodiments selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the edge of a prior art sealing module having an internal seal.

[0021] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a sealed edge of a module, such as a photovoltaic module, showing a first configuration of an outer edge seal used in conjunction with an inner seal.

[0022] Figure 3is a cross-sectional view of a sealed edge of a module, such as a photovoltaic module, showing a first configuration of an outer edge seal not used with an inner seal.

[0023] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an edge of a sealed module, such as a photovoltaic module, showing a first configuration of an outer edge seal for use with an inner seal, wherein the outer legs of the inner and outer edge seals are shorter than in the configuration of FIG. 1 to provide approximately the same drying path length.

[0024] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of an edge of a photovoltaic module showing a second configuration of application of an outer edge seal used in conjunction with an inner seal.

[0025] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an edge of a photovoltaic module showing a first configuration of an outer edge seal in a frame and not used with an inner seal.

[0026] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of an edge of a photovoltaic module showing a frame carrying a second configuration of an applied outer edge seal.

[0027] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of an edge of a flexible photovoltaic module having a first configuration of an outer edge seal and no inner seal.

[0028] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a first configuration of an outer edge seal having a defined notch to facilitate its folding around the edge of a module.

[0029] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional view of the edge of an insulating glass module showing a first configuration of an outer edge seal used in conjunction with an inner seal in a module having three substrates. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are considered to be part of the complete written description. The accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale, and for clarity and simplicity, certain features may be scaled up or shown in some schematic form. In this specification, related terms such as "horizontal", "vertical", "upward", "downward", "top" and "bottom" and their derivatives should be interpreted as referring to the orientation shown in the subsequent description or the discussed drawings. These related terms are for ease of description and are generally not intended to require specific orientation. Depending on the circumstances, terms including "inward" and "outward", "longitudinal" and "lateral" etc. are to be interpreted relative to each other or relative to the axis of elongation or the axis or center of rotation. Unless otherwise clearly described, terms such as "connection", "connection" and "interconnection" related to attachment, coupling, etc. refer to the relationship in which the structures are fixed to each other or attached to each other directly or indirectly through an intermediate structure, as well as removable or rigid attachments or relationships.

[0031] exist Figure 2 , 3 , 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10, the first configuration of the outer edge seal in the form of a moisture vapor barrier tape is generally indicated by the numeral 10. Figure 5 and 7 , the second configuration is generally indicated by the number 10. Individual seals 10 are used to seal the edges of a device or module 14 from the intrusion of air, water, and moisture vapor. In the context of the present application, the device or module includes an article 19 located between substrates 16 and 18, wherein the outer edges of the substrates 16 and 18 need to be sealed to benefit the life of the article 19. The device or module 14 may include an inner edge seal 30, which may be a spacer (e.g., a flexible polymer spacer, a metal spacer, a plastic spacer), a polymer seal (e.g., a silicone or olefin polymer seal), a dry seal, or other material used within the outer edge of the module 14. The inner edge seal 30 may have a high MVTR or a low MVTR. Examples of devices or modules 14 include photovoltaic modules, insulating glass units, screens, dynamic glass units, switchable window units, electrochromic window units, and thin film transistors.

[0032] Device or module 14 includes a first substrate 16 and a second substrate 18, wherein an item 19 is located in the interior space between substrates 16 and 18. Item 19 can be a single thing or multiple things. Item 19 can be a substance such as air or a gas such as argon. Item 19 can be an active material, such as a material used in a photovoltaic module, a thin film transistor, or a screen, carried by one of substrates 16 or 18 or by its own carrier. Item 19 can be one component or multiple components. Item 19 can be encapsulated or laminated between substrates 16 and 18.

[0033] The outer edge seal 10 is provided in long lengths that can be rolled and cut to the desired length, or in strips that can be rolled or configured to be shipped, stored, and applied as flat strips. The outer edge seal 10 includes a backing barrier film 20 and a dry adhesive 22 carried by the barrier film. The dry adhesive 22 can be extruded onto the backing film 20. The outer edge seal 10 can be extruded in a U-shaped section or must be folded into a Figure 2-4 The outer edge seal 10 can be manufactured and stored in a flat, unfolded state (see Figure 7 ), and then folded around the module 14. Notches 24 may be provided to minimize bunching of the adhesive 22 when the seal 10 is folded. The outer edge seal 10 may be extruded on demand at the location of the module manufacturing line. In addition, the outer edge seal 10 may be manufactured in long strips wound on a storage roll. When applied, the outer edge seal 10 may be a single continuous piece around the perimeter (with notched corners), or applied as a cut-to-length strip with a sealed joint.

[0034] The backing film 20 has a low or very low MVTR. The backing film 20 may be a metal foil such as aluminum foil. The backing film 20 may be a metallized polymer. The backing film 20 may be a polymer or a laminated polymer such as those used to make flexible photovoltaic modules. The backing film 20 may be a combination of these materials or other low MVTR films.

[0035] The dry adhesive 22 is a dry butyl adhesive that may or may not be curable.

[0036] MVTR is tested as described in ASTM F1249 (incorporated herein by reference). Low MVTR is considered to be less than about 5, preferably not more than about 1, more preferably not more than about 0.5, and most preferably not more than about 0.3 per square meter per day for a 60 mil thick specimen when tested at 100% relative humidity, 37.8°C. Very low MVTR is less than 0.3, and materials such as aluminum foil and polymer laminates are substantially less than 0.3.

[0037] In one embodiment, the polymer used in the adhesive 22 is one or a combination of olefin polymers selected from the group consisting of polyisobutylene, polybutene, butyl rubber (polyisobutylene-isoprene), styrene block copolymers, especially SBS, SIS, SEBS, SEPS, SIBS, SPIBS, and modified forms thereof, and amorphous copolymers and / or terpolymers of α-olefins (APAO).

[0038] Although isobutylene-based polymers, such as polyisobutylene and butyl rubber, are preferred for the adhesive of seal 10 due to their low MVTR, other polymers may be used instead or in addition to isobutylene-based polymers. Isobutylene-based polymers are defined as polymers containing at least 80 mole % of repeating units derived from isobutylene. Examples of other polymers include: ethylene-propylene polymers, ethylene-propylene diene polymers (EPDM), ethylene-vinyl acetate, acrylic rubbers, chloroprene rubbers, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, polyurethanes, epoxy resins, natural rubbers, polymers derived from conjugated dienes such as synthetic polyisoprene polybutadiene, nitrile rubbers, or styrene-butadiene rubbers, and amorphous polyolefins (e.g., homopolymers or copolymers of propylene with other monoolefins or dienes having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and having less than 20 wt % crystallinity as a polymer, and not EPDM and ethylene-propylene polymers). Polyisobutylene desirably has a number average molecular weight of about 2,000 to 1,400,000 or more, and more desirably 10,000 to 800,000. Polyisobutylene desirably is a polymer of substantially isobutylene with an initiator fragment and / or a chain transfer or chain terminator fragment. Butyl rubber is a polymer comprising about 80% to about 98% or 99% by weight of isobutylene and about 1% to about 20% by weight of other monomers, such as dienes (e.g., isoprene) having 4 to 12 carbon atoms and / or aromatic vinyl monomers having 8 to 16 carbon atoms, such as styrene, p-methylstyrene, etc. If p-methylstyrene is a comonomer, it is desirable that the polymer is halogenated (e.g., brominated). Butyl rubber desirably has a number average molecular weight of about 250,000 to about 600,000, more desirably about 350,000 to about 450,000. Other polymers desirably have a number average molecular weight of about 10,000 to 1,000,000 or 2,000,000. Amorphous polyalphaolefin desirably has a number average molecular weight of about 10,000 to about 40,000, more desirably about 10,000 to about 25,000. If butyl rubber is present in the core material, it is desirably a polymer of about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of the core material. Amorphous polyalphaolefins are typically used in combination with polyisobutylene and / or butyl rubber. The weight ratio of amorphous polyalphaolefin to polyisobutylene and / or butyl rubber is desirably 1:8 to 8:1, and more desirably 1:4 to 4:1.

[0039] Desiccant materials generally increase the time for moisture to penetrate the adhesive layer 22 and reach the article 19 such as the photovoltaic layer. The desiccant can be provided at 2% to 80% by weight of the weight of the adhesive. The desiccant material is preferably a zeolite molecular sieve at a concentration of 10% to 50% by weight and more preferably 10% to less than 20% by weight (wt%). Other desiccants can be used in combination with zeolite molecular sieves or in place of molecular sieves. These desiccants can be calcium oxide, silica gel or other dehumidifiers. The role of the desiccant material is to increase the time lag to reach a steady state in which moisture vapor penetrates the sealant by adsorbing moisture into the zeolite cage structure and preventing any moisture from penetrating into materials 19 such as laminated adhesive films and photovoltaic layers until all desiccant materials in the adhesive 22 are fully saturated or nearly fully saturated. In the example of a photovoltaic panel, the durability and / or life of the panel and / or photovoltaic layer are increased by preventing moisture from entering the photovoltaic layer from the edge of the panel. The expressions "desiccant sealant" and "desiccant adhesive" as used herein mean any sealant or adhesive sealant material and desiccant material described herein, together with any and all equivalents of sealant materials, desiccant materials and / or combinations of sealant materials and / or desiccant materials.

[0040] IEC 62788-6-2:2020 of the International Electrotechnical Commission provides methods for measuring steady-state water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), water vapor permeability (P), diffusivity (D), solubility (S), and moisture breakthrough time (T10) (defined as the time to reach 10% steady-state WVTR) of polymeric materials such as encapsulants, edge seals, front sheets, and back sheets. When tested by this method, one configuration of the dry adhesive 22 has a moisture breakthrough time T10 of more than four hours at 85°C / 100% relative humidity (RH) when tested at 1mm thickness. When tested at 1mm thickness, a second configuration of the dry adhesive 22 has a moisture breakthrough time T10 of more than eighteen hours at 85°C / 100% relative humidity (RH). When tested at 1mm thickness, a third configuration of the dry adhesive 22 has a moisture breakthrough time T10 of more than thirty hours at 85°C / 100% relative humidity (RH).

[0041] An exemplary dry adhesive 22 may include the following components in weight percent: 30% to 70% olefin polymer, 0 to 10% modified polymer, 5% to 50% fine particle inert filler, 2% to 80% water binding material, 0 to 4% anti-aging agent, 0 to 4% adhesion promoter / coupling agent, 0 to 30% plasticizer viscosity modifier (MW 100-1000), and 0 to 35% tackifier resin (MW 500-3000). Modified polymers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,372,909, which is incorporated by reference.

[0042] exist Figure 2 ,4 , 5, 7 and 10, the inner edge seal 30 is located between the substrates 16 and 18. Fig.10 Two inner edge seals 30 and an inner substrate 17 are used, such as the structure in a triple glazed unit. The inner edge seal 30 can be a dry butyl seal applied in a strip or pumped into place. The inner edge seal 30 can also be a material that is a physical spacer or protects the edge of the material 19. The inner edge seal 30 can be permeable to moisture vapor, such as silicone. In the arrangement of Figure 1, the outer edge seal 10 is wrapped around the outer peripheral edge of the module 14. The seal 10 has outer legs that extend over portions of the front and rear surfaces (outer surfaces) of the substrates 16 and 18. The seal 10 also covers the outer edges of the substrates 16 and 18. When the outer legs of the seal 10 extend the same width as the inner edge seal 30, the seal 10 at least doubles the length of the path that moisture must travel before entering the module 14. For example, in an arrangement in which the inner edge seal 30 has a width of 5mm ( Figure 2 In the case of the left to right dimension in FIG. 1 , the legs of the outer edge seal 10 also extend 5 mm on the front and back (outer) surfaces of the substrates 16 and 18. Thus, by using the outer edge seal 10, the path to break through the interior of the module is increased to 10 mm in addition to the thickness of the thinner substrate 16 or 18. The membrane 20 prevents moisture from entering the adhesive 22 from anywhere except at the uncovered adhesive edges.

[0043] exist Figure 4 14 depicts a configuration in which the width of the inner edge seal 30 is halved (such as to 2.5 mm in the above example) and the length of the drying path is maintained by adding a 2.5 mm wide leg of dry adhesive on the outer surface of the substrates 16 and 18, thereby providing a total path length of at least 5 mm while providing additional usable area for the article 19.

[0044] Figure 3 , 6 8 show an example of using the outer edge seal 10 to provide an overall dry edge seal of the module 14 (because the inner edge seal 30 is not used). Figure 6 The module 14 is a thin flexible photovoltaic module.

[0045] exist Figure 5 and Figure 7 In an arrangement of , the outer edge seal 10 is applied only to the outer edge of the module 14 and does not wrap around the front or rear surfaces of the substrates 16 and 18. This arrangement increases the moisture path only by the thickness of the thinner of the substrates 16 and 18. This configuration can be used Figure 7 The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 when the module 14 is installed into the frame 40 .

[0046] Figure 6 and Figure 7 An arrangement is shown having a frame 40 for use with an outer edge seal 10. In both arrangements, the frame 40 may be mounted on the outer edge seal 10, or the outer edge seal 10 may be carried within the frame 40, wherein the frame 40 and outer edge seal 10 are applied as a unit.

[0047] After such modules are manufactured, an outer edge seal 10 may be introduced into a module having an inner edge seal 30. When the manufacturing process of the module 14 does not provide for the application of a full perimeter inner edge seal 30, the outer edge seal 10 may be used to provide edge sealing to the module 14. When the modules 14 are produced in a continuous, non-stop moving process and the inner edge seal 30 is not introduced into the module 14, the outer edge seal 10 may be installed after the module 14 is cut and removed from the production line. This removes the edge sealing process from the main module manufacturing line and moves it downstream to another workstation. In another configuration, the edges of the module 14 parallel to the direction of the conveyor receive portions of the outer edge seal 10 as the module 14 moves along the assembly conveyor, while the edges perpendicular to the conveyor receive the outer edge seal 10 after the module 14 is cut and removed from the conveyor. In other configurations, as the modules 14 move along the assembly conveyor, the edges of the modules 14 parallel to the conveyor direction receive sealant pumped between the substrates 16 and 18 to form the inner edge seals 30 along the machine direction edges, while the edges perpendicular to the conveyor receive the outer edge seals 10 after the modules 14 are cut and removed from the conveyor. As noted above, the outer edge seals 10 can be manufactured on-site on the production line on demand. The lamination and sealing of the outer edge seals 10 to the modules 14 can be performed by various techniques such as rollers or a solar laminator.

[0048] In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for the sake of brevity, clarity and understanding. Except for the requirements of the prior art, no unnecessary limitations are implied thereby, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly interpreted. In addition, the description and illustration of the present invention are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. Modifications and changes to those embodiments will be apparent to those who read and understand this general description. The present invention should be interpreted as including all such modifications and changes, as long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents. In the specification and claims of the present invention, the words "comprise" and "include" and variations of those words are not intended to exclude additives, components, wholes or steps.

Claims

1. A sealing module, comprising: a first substrate having an outer surface and a peripheral edge; a second substrate having an outer surface and a peripheral edge; a photovoltaic material between the first substrate and the second substrate; The first substrate is spaced apart from the second substrate; an outer edge seal having a barrier film and a dry adhesive carried by the barrier film; the dry adhesive of the outer edge seal extends around edge portions of the first and second substrates, wherein the dry adhesive engages portions of outer surfaces of the first and second substrates; and The dry adhesive of the outer edge seal increases the time it takes for moisture to penetrate the module and reach the photovoltaic material. 2 . The module of claim 1 , further comprising an inner edge seal between the first substrate and the second substrate.

3. The module of claim 2, wherein the inner edge seal is dry.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein the barrier film has a very low MVTR.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the desiccant adhesive comprises an isobutylene-based polymer and a desiccant at a concentration of less than 20 weight percent. The module according to claim 5 , wherein the desiccant is a zeolite molecular sieve.

7. An outer edge seal for sealing an edge of a module, the outer edge seal comprising: Barrier films; and A dry adhesive is carried by the barrier film.

8. The outer edge seal of claim 7, wherein the barrier film has a low or very low moisture vapor transmission rate.

9. The outer edge seal of claim 8, wherein the film is one of a metal foil, a metallized material, and a plastic.

10. The outer edge seal of claim 7 wherein the adhesive comprises an olefin polymer.

11. The outer edge seal of claim 10, wherein the adhesive comprises about 2% to 80% by weight of a desiccant.

12. The outer edge seal of claim 7, wherein the dry adhesive has a moisture breakthrough time T10 of more than four hours at 85°C / 100% relative humidity (RH) when tested at 1 mm thickness.

13. A module assembly sealed with the outer edge seal of claim 12, further comprising: a first substrate having an outer surface and a peripheral edge; a second substrate having an outer surface and a peripheral edge; and A dried adhesive extends around edge portions of the first and second substrates, wherein the dried adhesive engages portions of the outer surfaces of the first and second substrates.

14. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising an inner edge seal between the first substrate and the second substrate.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the inner edge seal includes a desiccant.

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