Epoxy-Modified Polyolefin Solar Cell Sealing Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solar cell sealing materials, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, face challenges with low heat resistance, adhesive properties, and recyclability, leading to high production costs and environmental concerns, while modified polyolefins lack sufficient adhesive and transparency properties for solar cell applications.
Innovation Solution
An epoxy-modified polyolefin-based resin composition is developed, which is melt-kneaded with an epoxy group-containing vinyl monomer and an aromatic vinyl monomer in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, providing excellent water vapor barrier properties, adhesive strength, and transparency, suitable for sealing solar cell modules without the need for post-crosslinking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is used as sealing material, then adhesive properties and flexibility are improved, but heat resistance and recyclability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using epoxy-modified polyolefin instead of conventional ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, achieving both high adhesive strength (improving_feature) and high heat resistance (improving_feature) simultaneously. The epoxy modification introduces polar groups that enhance adhesion while the polyolefin backbone maintains thermal stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite sealing material by combining polyolefin base resin with epoxy modification, achieving synergistic effects where the polyolefin provides flexibility and heat resistance while the epoxy groups provide adhesive properties, resolving the contradiction between adhesive strength and heat resistance.
2Reliability
If organic peroxide and silane coupling agent are added to improve heat resistance and adhesive properties, then cross-linking occurs, but production time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for separate cross-linking agents (organic peroxide and silane coupling agent) by incorporating epoxy groups directly into the polyolefin structure. This simplifies the material composition and eliminates the complex multi-step cross-linking process, resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable bonding and reducing production complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The epoxy groups are pre-introduced into the polyolefin structure during resin synthesis, so that adhesive properties are already present before the sealing process. This preliminary modification eliminates the need for subsequent cross-linking steps, reducing production time and complexity while maintaining high reliability.
3Reliability
If cross-linking is performed to improve heat resistance, then adhesive properties are enhanced, but recyclability and ease of collection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adopts a thermoplastic epoxy-modified polyolefin that can be processed and recycled multiple times without significant degradation. The material is designed to be disposable in terms of application (single-use sealing) but recyclable in terms of material recovery, resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable heat resistance through modification and maintaining recyclability.
4Strength
If EVA is used to achieve excellent adhesive properties, then water vapor barrier properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition by using epoxy-modified polyolefin instead of EVA. The epoxy groups provide polar interactions for excellent adhesion while the polyolefin matrix maintains low water vapor permeability, simultaneously improving both adhesive properties and water vapor barrier properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The epoxy-modified polyolefin-based resin composition enhances the reliability and productivity of solar cell modules by offering superior water vapor barrier properties, adhesive strength, and recyclability, while maintaining transparency and processability, thus addressing the limitations of existing materials.
Implementation Method 1
melt-kneaded with an epoxy group-containing vinyl monomer and an aromatic vinyl monomer in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a high-performance and highly-reliable solar cell module sealed with a solar cell sealing material which allows solar cell quality to be maintained over a long period of time due to its excellent water vapor barrier properties and adhesion properties and which has excellent recycle properties and module productivity. The solar cell module is sealed with a solar cell sealing material containing an epoxy-modified polyolefin resin composition obtained by introducing an epoxy group-containing monomer by a grafting reaction. The epoxy-modified polyolefin resin composition is preferably obtained by melt-kneading a polyolefin resin with an epoxy group-containing vinyl monomer and an aromatic vinyl monomer in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator.