Evaluation of the Durability of Flexible Barrier Materials

Michael Kempe; Dylan Nobles; Mark Weigel; Alan Nachtigal; Mark Roehrig; Tracie Berniard; Joseph Spagnola; Charlene Schubert

doi:10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355605

Evaluation of the Durability of Flexible Barrier Materials

Michael Kempe, Dylan Nobles, Mark Weigel, Alan Nachtigal, Mark Roehrig, Tracie Berniard, Joseph Spagnola, Charlene Schubert

Materials Science

3M

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

5 Scopus Citations

Abstract

To enable the production of lightweight photovoltaic modules, it is desired to use thin film absorbers on metal substrates in a flexible package. To do this with a polymer based frontsheet, it is estimated that a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) less than 10-4 g/m2/day must be achieved and maintained through the expected life of the module. Barrier-frontsheet films have been developed at 3M with very low permeation rates and evaluated for their long term durability with respect to WVTR and optical transmittance. After exposure to 2500 h of 10 UV suns at 105°C, one design was found which experienced negligible loss in optical transmission while maintaining a WVTR well below the required 10-4 g/m2/day. Further accelerated tests were conducted at different stress levels. For some less durable designs we were able to obtain degradation acceleration factors suggesting the highest exposure was equal to between 4.4 and 10 y on a roof.

Original language	American English
Number of pages	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355605 https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355605
State	Published - 14 Dec 2015
Event	42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2015 - New Orleans, United States Duration: 14 Jun 2015 → 19 Jun 2015

Conference

Conference	42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2015
Country/Territory	United States
City	New Orleans
Period	14/06/15 → 19/06/15

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 IEEE.

NREL Publication Number

NREL/CP-5J00-63614

Keywords

Barrier
Durability
Flexible
Prediction
Reliability
Thin Film
Weathering

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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title = "Evaluation of the Durability of Flexible Barrier Materials",

abstract = "To enable the production of lightweight photovoltaic modules, it is desired to use thin film absorbers on metal substrates in a flexible package. To do this with a polymer based frontsheet, it is estimated that a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) less than 10-4 g/m2/day must be achieved and maintained through the expected life of the module. Barrier-frontsheet films have been developed at 3M with very low permeation rates and evaluated for their long term durability with respect to WVTR and optical transmittance. After exposure to 2500 h of 10 UV suns at 105°C, one design was found which experienced negligible loss in optical transmission while maintaining a WVTR well below the required 10-4 g/m2/day. Further accelerated tests were conducted at different stress levels. For some less durable designs we were able to obtain degradation acceleration factors suggesting the highest exposure was equal to between 4.4 and 10 y on a roof.",

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Kempe, M, Nobles, D, Weigel, M, Nachtigal, A, Roehrig, M, Berniard, T, Spagnola, J & Schubert, C 2015, 'Evaluation of the Durability of Flexible Barrier Materials', Paper presented at 42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2015, New Orleans, United States, 14/06/15 - 19/06/15. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355605, https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2015.7355605

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T1 - Evaluation of the Durability of Flexible Barrier Materials

AU - Kempe, Michael

AU - Nobles, Dylan

AU - Weigel, Mark

AU - Nachtigal, Alan

AU - Roehrig, Mark

AU - Berniard, Tracie

AU - Spagnola, Joseph

AU - Schubert, Charlene

PY - 2015/12/14

Y1 - 2015/12/14

N2 - To enable the production of lightweight photovoltaic modules, it is desired to use thin film absorbers on metal substrates in a flexible package. To do this with a polymer based frontsheet, it is estimated that a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) less than 10-4 g/m2/day must be achieved and maintained through the expected life of the module. Barrier-frontsheet films have been developed at 3M with very low permeation rates and evaluated for their long term durability with respect to WVTR and optical transmittance. After exposure to 2500 h of 10 UV suns at 105°C, one design was found which experienced negligible loss in optical transmission while maintaining a WVTR well below the required 10-4 g/m2/day. Further accelerated tests were conducted at different stress levels. For some less durable designs we were able to obtain degradation acceleration factors suggesting the highest exposure was equal to between 4.4 and 10 y on a roof.

AB - To enable the production of lightweight photovoltaic modules, it is desired to use thin film absorbers on metal substrates in a flexible package. To do this with a polymer based frontsheet, it is estimated that a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) less than 10-4 g/m2/day must be achieved and maintained through the expected life of the module. Barrier-frontsheet films have been developed at 3M with very low permeation rates and evaluated for their long term durability with respect to WVTR and optical transmittance. After exposure to 2500 h of 10 UV suns at 105°C, one design was found which experienced negligible loss in optical transmission while maintaining a WVTR well below the required 10-4 g/m2/day. Further accelerated tests were conducted at different stress levels. For some less durable designs we were able to obtain degradation acceleration factors suggesting the highest exposure was equal to between 4.4 and 10 y on a roof.

KW - Barrier

KW - Durability

KW - Flexible

KW - Prediction

KW - Reliability

KW - Thin Film

KW - Weathering

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M3 - Paper

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T2 - 42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2015

Y2 - 14 June 2015 through 19 June 2015

ER -

Evaluation of the Durability of Flexible Barrier Materials

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

UN SDGs

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