BASF presents photovoltaic products at 27th EU PVSEC
- BASF presents extensive solar product range at European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- Ultramid® engineering plastic enables easy mounting of solar panels (AIXTRALIGHT CLIP)
- Metal pastes for standard screen printing (CypoSol® S) and BASF's innovative new laser transfer printing technology (CypoSol® L)
Ludwigshafen. BASF will be presenting its innovative products for the solar industry at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) from September 24 to 28, 2012. Visitors to Booth E 21 in Hall 3.0 at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition center can learn about the wide range of products for every link in the solar cell value chain.
BASF's photovoltaic products include innovative plastics such as Ultramid® for solar panels, plugs and sockets; chemicals for cleaning solar cells such as eco-friendly SELURIS® Clean; plastics additives like Uvinul® and Irganox®; metallization inks and pastes (CypoSol®); and the COLO-FAST® polyurethane spray system for framing photovoltaic modules.
AIXTRALIGHT CLIP: Ultramid® engineering plastic for easily mounting solar panels
Aixtra Solar AG has been using the Ultramid® A3WG10 engineering plastic in its AIXTRALIGHT photovoltaic mounting system for several months: The AIXTRALIGHT CLIP is a plastic bracket mounted onto the roof. The rails onto which the photovoltaic modules are attached can be quickly and easily inserted into the brackets. Installing the AIXTRALIGHT CLIP avoids stresses caused by differences in the expansion coefficients of the trapezoidal sheet metal and the mounting rails. BASF's ultra-stiff polyamide belongs to the category of engineering plastics that has been shown to have a service life of 20 years in accordance with ISO 4892-2 Cycle 1. The material also exhibits minimal creep tendencyat high temperatures (up to 80 C) as well as extraordinary toughness and stiffness at low temperatures. In addition, Ultramid® easily handles long-term direct contact with PVC roof membranes and conforms to the B2 fire class (DIN 4102). By running proprietary numerical simulations, BASF was able to optimize the component's design and verify that it satisfied the strength requirements. Since the plastic is easy to process, it is ideal for efficiently mass-producing injection-molded parts.
The complete AIXTRALIGHT photovoltaic mounting system consists of the AIXTRALIGHT CLIP made from Ultramid®, a rail with an integrated mounting slot for the screw, self-tapping high-grade steel screws with gaskets, and panel clamps.
Ground mounts are another application where plastics shine. For the first time ever, BASF will be showcasing support components for ground mounts made from engineering plastics at PVSEC. The design will be illustrated by a prototype produced in cooperation with Joma-Polytec.
For plugs or sockets: Ultramid® solutions for every need
BASF's Ultramid® A3X2G7 is the ideal choice for photovoltaic plugs. Being an extremely stiff polyamide, it allows the production of very thin plugs that still meet the rigorous requirements of solar applications. For example, Ultramid® A3X2G7 satisfies the UL flammability rating of V0 starting at a wall thickness of 0.8 mm and 5VA starting at 1.5 mm.
When it comes to solar array sockets, by contrast, BASF recommends Ultramid® A3XZG5. Even though only 1,000 hours are required in the damp heat test, the highly impact-resistant modified Ultramid® type still had double the breaking elongation of previous materials after 4,000 hours in a climate-controlled environment at 85 C and 85% humidity. Sockets made out of this material also pass the demanding UL 1703 cold impact test with flying colors. Furthermore, both polyamides received the f1 weatherability rating (UL) essential to solar applications.
Efficient solutions for the solar cell industry
BASF has been leveraging its extensive experience in the semiconductor industryto develop and continuously enhance innovative solutions for cutting, etching, texturing, doping and cleaning for mono- and polycrystalline solar cells. Through these efforts, it has added an innovative new eco-friendly cleaning solution to its SELURIS® product range for the PV industry. SELURIS® C2000 is an efficient cleaning agent used prior to passivation step and comparable in performance to the high-temperature, high costmulti-step cleaning processes used in the semiconductor industry. The new product, developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC), greatly extends minority carrier lifetime and prepares solar cell surfaces prior to the deposition of various passivation layers in a simple one-step process.
Heat, light and UV stabilizers
BASF plastic additives enable all plastics used in PV modules to withstand exposure to heat (Irgafos®, Irganox®) and sunlight (Chimassorb®, Tinuvin®, Uvinul®). All over the world the company offers a broad range of heat and UV stabilizers for plastics. They are tailor-made for the various plastic resins used in PV applications like encapsulants, frames, backsheet films and electrical components to meet the lifetime requirements of at least 25 years.
Innovative silver and aluminum metallization inks – designed specifically for BASF's LTP process
CypoSol® L is BASF's range of special silver and aluminum inks designed specifically for the chemical company's innovative laser transfer printing (LTP) process. Unlike conventional screen printing, LTP provides a contact-free way to print circuits onto solar cell wafers. The new printer not only boosts the efficiency of solar cell production, but also enhances cell performance. BASF initiated the development of this new printing process at Aurentum Innovationstechnologien GmbH. CypoSol® L inks are very eco-friendly and available in lead-free versions and as water-based solvents. They can be used for printing the front and rear sides of the solar cells. In addition to products for the LTP process, BASF also offers pastes for conventional screen printing in its CypoSol® S line of products.
PU casting systems for framing
The polyurethane casting system COLO-FAST®is a quick, reliable and high-quality method for framing photovoltaic modules. The UV-stable and weather-proof PU system is able to replace traditional aluminum frames both with installed PV modules in the roof and on the roof. COLO-FAST® opens up an almost unlimited choice of color and a variety of possible frame designs for the customer. The COLO-FAST® technology allowsthe installation of clamping elements and electrical components in one work step. Ultimately, PV modules framed with COLO-FAST®can be integrated perfectly into the roof, which ensures high aesthetic demands.
The EU PVSEC is an international conference for photovoltaic research, development, production and applications as well as a leading PV trade show. BASF has been presenting its innovative products and solutions to experts at the PVSEC since 2009.
About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.P-12-392