Solvay to Exhibit One of the Most Comprehensive Photovoltaic Material Portfolios Under the Sun at Intersolar North America
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Solvay Specialty Polymers will highlight its comprehensive portfolio of high-performance polymers for the solar power industry at the Intersolar North America exhibition July 8-10 in San Francisco. The company's offering was recently expanded with the addition of two new film grades of Halar® ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE) resin, which features a unique patented UV blocking technology that was purpose-designed for PV front sheet applications capable of meeting the industry's 25-years' service life requirement.
An advanced PV front sheet film from Amcor Flexibles developed in collaboration with Solvay using new Halar® ECTFE UV blocking technology, shows excellent long-term weatherability, dielectric strength and flame retardant characteristics (LOI >52), which makes it ideally suitable also for the growing segment of residential photovoltaic applications.
"The photovoltaic installation market is booming, particularly in the US," explains Philippe-Jacques Leng, Global Market Manager, Films, 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, and with our broad product portfolio we are firmly positioned as a strategic supplier to our customers in this important segment."
Solvay Specialty Polymers' comprehensive offering for the photovoltaic industry includes key products such as Halar® ECTFE - a partially fluorinated, melt-processable polymer that combines excellent mechanical properties with exceptional heat, chemical and fire resistance, giving it a perfect fit in high-performance films for weight saving front and back sheets; Solef® PVDF - a partially fluorinated polymer with outstanding chemical, UV and fatigue resistance along with exceptional barrier properties, scratch-resistance and ease of processing, whose typical applications include PV module back sheets; and Cogegum® XLPO HFFR, a range of ambient-cure, cross-linkable, halogen-free fire retardant compounds that provide enhanced solutions for wire insulation and cable jacketing applications with comprehensive chemical resistance over a wide range of end-use temperatures.
Other products in the company's portfolio include Ixef® PARA, a semi-aromatic polyarylamide resin that offers a unique combination of strength and rigidity, high melt flow and excellent surface aesthetics, making it a preferred material for thin-walled PV module frames, and Polidiemme® XLPO - a range of elastomeric, ambient-cure, cross-linkable compounds with enhanced thermo-mechanical properties as well as high chemical and abrasion resistance over a wide temperature range, ideally suited for PV encapsulation.
Solvay Specialty Polymers will exhibit its diversified product portfolio for the solar energy industry at Intersolar North America 2014 from July 8 to 10, Booth 7711. Specialists from Solvay will be at the booth to discuss the advantages of their innovative specialty material solutions for customers in the photovoltaic market seeking to win and maintain a competitive edge by enhancing the sustainability and performance of their PV products.
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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-high performance polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds – for use in Aerospace, Alternative Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Membranes, Oil & Gas, Packaging, Plumbing, Semiconductors, Wire & 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 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
413-684-2463
joe.grande@verizon.net
Marla Witbrod
Solvay Specialty Polymers
770-772-8451
marla.witbrod@solvay.com
