ECTFE Resins suit production of front sheets for PV modules.
Press Release Summary:
Able to be extruded into transparent film with over 90% light transmission, Halar® PV ECTFE semi-crystalline, melt-processable fluoropolymer resin provides water vapor barrier (<1 g/m²/day) as well as chemical and fire resistance. Product offers long-term weatherability and is suitable for 20+ years of direct exposure to sunlight. In addition to properties as Halar PV, Halar UV blocking technology provides long-term UV blocking performance to meet 25-year performance life for PV modules.
Original Press Release:
Solvay Unveils New Halar® ECTFE Film Grades for Production of Front Sheets for Photovoltaic Modules
New Materials Expand Solvay's Market Position in Solar Industry
BRUSSELS -- Solvay Specialty Polymers has launched two new film grades of Halar® ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE) that are specifically designed for front sheet applications for photovoltaic (PV) modules. Halar® PV ECTFE and Halar® ECTFE UV blocking technology mark Solvay’s entrance into PV front sheet applications. The new products complement Solvay’s extensive material offering for PV modules which includes Solef® polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Halar® ECTFE for back sheets and Cogegum® XLPO HFFR for cables and Polidiemme® XLPO for innovative encapsulants.
The new film grades for front sheets expand Solvay’s penetration of the growing PV module market where it is already a key supplier of Solef® PVDF and Halar® ECTFE for PV back sheets. “With our broad product portfolio we are firmly positioned as a strategic supplier to the global PV market and this new launch signals our further commitment to the industry,” said Philippe-Jacques Leng, global market manager for film for Solvay Specialty Polymers. “We believe this is a highly sustainable market that requires specially designed materials to meet the PV industry’s high-performance needs.”
Halar® PV ECTFE - a semi-crystalline, melt-processable fluoropolymer resin - can be extruded into a highly transparent film (over 90% light transmission). It provides excellent water vapor barrier (< 1 g/m2/day) in a wide range of temperatures and offers strong chemical resistance, exceptional fire resistance, and long-term weatherability, making it suitable for 20-plus years of direct exposure to sunlight.
Halar® PV ECTFE is a highly viable alternative to competing materials such as glass (rigid, heavy, and breakable) and other fluorinated polymers, offering greater fire resistance, higher tensile modulus, and lower density than its direct competitors.
In addition to Halar® PV ECTFE, Solvay has launched new Halar® UV blocking technology which is the only solution of its kind in the industry. The new product offers the same properties as Halar® PV but also employs patented technology to deliver long-lasting UV blocking performance to meet the solar industry’s 25-year performance life for PV modules.
Solvay's first partner in developing PV front sheet technology - Amcor Flexibles - is launching films based on the new Halar® ECTFE technology for the PV front sheet market. Films are available up to 1.5 meters wide and 50 microns thick.
About Solvay Specialty Polymers
Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers
and cross-linked high-performance compounds – for use in Aerospace, Alternative Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Membranes, Oil and Gas, Packaging, Plumbing, Semiconductors, Wire and Cable, and other industries. Learn more at www.solvay.com.
Solvay (www.solvay.com) is an international chemical Group committed to sustainable development with a clear focus on innovation and operational excellence. It is realizing over 90% of its sales in markets where it is among the top 3 global leaders. Solvay offers a broad range of products that contribute to improving quality of life and the performance of its customers in markets such as consumer goods, construction, automotive, energy, water and environment, and electronics. The Group is headquartered in Brussels and its companies, which employ about 29,400 people in 56 countries, generated EUR 9.9 billion in net sales in 2013 (pro forma). Solvay SA is listed as SOLB.BE on NYSE Euronext (www.euronext.com) in Brussels and Paris. Bloomberg (www.bloomberg.com) = SOLB.BB. Reuters (www.reuters.com) = SOLB.BR.
Press Contacts
Joe Grande
Media Relations
+1 413 684 2463
joe.grande@verizon.net
Marla Witbrod
Solvay Specialty Polymers
+1 770 772 8451
marla.witbrod@solvay.com
