Sylgard 184 on front ?

[Alan]

bs

"
Solar-Tite 384 works better than Sylgard, it maintained the efficiency of the solar cells better than Sylgard"

is there some data to back this up or.....

just your hyped up spin on how to sell more of your product?

I'm sure it is better than slygard, I'm also pretty sure your claim above is unsubstantiated.

[russ]

Hi Scott - Welcome to Solar Panel Talk!

Good information and many will be interested!

Russ

[scottSUN]

It can't go on the front because it will not take the punishment of the weather like hail and other things.

Longer service life in adverse environments
Virtually unaffected by weather -- rain, snow, humidity, ozone, or the sun's damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays -- for many years This is with a glass front.
I'm looking into a product PV 6010 Dow corning ,I'm writing them.

Solar-Tite 384 works better than Sylgard, it maintained the efficiency of the solar cells better than Sylgard

Also Solar-Tite 384 is the REAL ROOM TEMPERATURE cure solar cell encapsulant. It is low in viscosity and gets hard in a matter of a few hours. No need for heating pads, blow dryers or the likes. Also, Solar-Tite 384 does not have the problem with air bubbles that other solar cell encapsulants are notorious for. it is also much cheaper i recently bought 8 times 500ml containers on ebay for $180au. almost half cost to sylgard 184 Specifications


Color

[DeltaFox 25]

It can't go on the front because it will not take the punishment of the weather like hail and other things.

Longer service life in adverse environments
Virtually unaffected by weather -- rain, snow, humidity, ozone, or the sun's damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays -- for many years This is with a glass front.
I'm looking into a product PV 6010 Dow corning ,I'm writing them.

[kermitas]

Have you yourself worked with sylgard ? I guess so It sounds like it. I still have trouble with bubbles. I might be inpatient I guess.

Mark is this guy : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muwclw5oYd8 .

If you asking me then no, I still didn't manage to buy it. eBay sellers had hollidays break, Superior Essex also.

I asked Mark if I can use Sylgard on front of the cells and here is his answer :

You can try it but i think in 5 year's you will regreat the little money you saved. Mark

Thats not good because now I am looking for the way to eliminate solar glass (it is very heavy, with frame whole panel starts to be very havey - no one of my fences will be able to keep 5 or 10 of them ).

If Syglard can't go on front I started to think about very thin plexiglas on front and polycarbonate as backing (cells glued to it)...

Wayne, you also said that Sylgard can't go on front - even not so thin layer. Can you tell me in simple word why ? (Once-twice a yer we have got there a little ice storm.)

[DeltaFox 25]

Have you yourself worked with sylgard ? I guess so It sounds like it. I still have trouble with bubbles. I might be inpatient I guess.

[kermitas]

You have to use a vacuum bag. That's a big teflon lined bag you place around the object, and then use a high power vacuum to pull the air out, as you get better vacuum, the bubbles get larger and pop. After 15-20 min, or whatever your cure time is, you un-wrap. Fancy glass fiber layup shops use them, boats, surfboards, airplanes, car body parts.

Another answer from Mark about bubbles :

When you mix sylgard do not whip air into it. Mix it slow you have a lot of time to work with sylgard. Pour the slygard around 3 sides of each cell and wait about one hour,the slygard will move under the cell's slowley. You can take a paint brush and help spread after the one hour. Sometimes i lift one side for a minute,and then the other side.The sylgard will take up to 3 day's to set,in all that time most of the air bubbles comes out.The air bubble's does not effect the wattage. Mark

- markp-0177

[DeltaFox 25]

Mike ,I have this DVD that show you how to do all of that , It's called "Layman's Guide to Solar Cell Assembly" some how I got 3 of them . Need to give a couple away.

[Mike90250]

you should ask MarkPO177 how he gets his bubbles out??

You have to use a vacuum bag. That's a big teflon lined bag you place around the object, and then use a high power vacuum to pull the air out, as you get better vacuum, the bubbles get larger and pop. After 15-20 min, or whatever your cure time is, you un-wrap. Fancy glass fiber layup shops use them, boats, surfboards, airplanes, car body parts.

[DeltaFox 25]

I seen this one guy that put small spacers between his cell's and left them there and put a glass over it ans had silicone around the edge. There is so many ways to build panels but the trick is to get one to last a long time.

They would charge me an arm and a leg for the low iron glass. I wish I could afford it. Good going. Take some pictures and show us.

[kermitas]

Do you rembember my panel1 photos ? As a backing I planning to use polycarbonate. It is very light-weight and not too expensive.

Yes, I will do sth around to sylgard does not run off - thanks to you.

I already ordered and received five 13 sq feet solar glasses (low-iron, hardened) from glassworks but now I am planning next panel whitch could be lightweight eliminating solar glass and all problems with strong (because of big glass) aluminum frame.

Not so good response from Mark :

Hi arthur You have to use glass, the sylgard alone is not durable to surive a hail storm.The sylgard is a little costly but it will last over 30 year's.Sylgard was developed by dow chemical for nasa,it will make the cell itself last longer.When you are doing a solor project you want it to pay for itself, so you want it to last for decade's. The only way it will last is with a aluminum frame and to encapsulate. Mark

[kermitas]

Iguess you can use it on the front but you should have a plastic for the back. It would be a waste to have a glass for a backing. At least here glass is exspensive. You have to get hardened glass . They want you to have low iron glass but I can't affored it. Sylgard would be a good cover for your cell's . Back layer = cell's= sylgard .within a frame. You will still have to put like silicone around the edge so the sylgard doesnot run off.
you should ask MarkPO177 how he gets his bubbles out??

Do you rembember my panel1 photos ? As a backing I planning to use polycarbonate. It is very light-weight and not too expensive.

Yes, I will do sth around to sylgard does not run off - thanks to you.

I already ordered and received five 13 sq feet solar glasses (low-iron, hardened) from glassworks but now I am planning next panel whitch could be lightweight eliminating solar glass and all problems with strong (because of big glass) aluminum frame.

[DeltaFox 25]

Iguess you can use it on the front but you should have a plastic for the back. It would be a waste to have a glass for a backing. At least here glass is exspensive. You have to get hardened glass . They want you to have low iron glass but I can't affored it. Sylgard would be a good cover for your cell's . Back layer = cell's= sylgard .within a frame. You will still have to put like silicone around the edge so the sylgard doesnot run off.
you should ask MarkPO177 how he gets his bubbles out??

[kermitas]

I really don't think about putting sylgard on the front but You might try it.
It's made to be clear and there would not be any hindrence in using it like that but Your going to have to make a border around the panel so the sylgard doesn't run off when you pore it. I would think you would have to be parity thick so the weather would not bother it.

Go to Dow Corning Corp and look up sluggard 184 it will tell you the speck.

I think it would be a bad thing to put it on the front but thats just me.

I send a question to Dow Corning and to MarkP0177 (the author of the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muwclw5oYd8 ) about to use sylgard on front of cells.

Wayne, you already used sylgard in your panels. Why do you think it is bad idea to use sylgard on front (and eliminate solard glass, eliminate of super strong frame) ??

[DeltaFox 25]

With Tedlar & EVA you also need heat & vacuum. I know of a person that was making his own table that would do all of this. It starts getting exspensive if you do this.
Dow Corning has alot of infermation on this .