Epoxy for encapsulating cells (great DIY thread with photos!)

[Gravelsandwich]

Yeah that look right, i've seen this clip before. Glass, cells, Eva, Tedlar. He calls the glass "a clear sheet of layered glass" but it looks more like perspex to me???? No EVA between the glass and the cells????Maybe they just didn't show that bit?

[millenia]

Slygard & Solar Tite

The panels that I have have been outside for about three month and seam to be doing well. When you use the Slygard be sure to have everything around there warm untill it dryes. To keep the Slygard from running off the glass I put a boundry around the outer edge
of a silicone I bought of of ebay.

Hmm I wonder if thats the problem I had with my last panel. I had it drying for a month and it was begining to look like it was ready, but after siting overnight in the garage on its side some of the glue from the front came out. Since I just got some Slygard I repoured it again. Didnt know about the heating. My first panel dried just fine a month earlier. I live in Southern California and its not very cold but it is still cold at night. Could that be the problem?

There is a problem with a Slygard substitute that needs to be shared. solar tite sems to be a knock off or a diluted form of Slygard. I ordered some from Ebay and the first can was less then half full so I had a hell of a time to cover the first panel and when it dried it had open sections. I bought some "real" Slygard and the can was about 3/4th full and the same size. I used it to fill in the spaces.

The second panel was a disaster in more ways than one. Not really sure of why the glue didnt properly cure. The second solar tite can was 1/2 full but I managed to cover most of the cells OK until I tried to stand it on edge over night after a month of drying.

Obviously one major problem with the product was that it seems diluted and wouldn't dry and they are simply giving you less than needed to seal the panel. I complained to them without much results. Electrically both of my panels work and put out 17V at 7Amps, but mechanically this glue problem does not make me feel good. All panels have some small air pockets and I dont know what that is going to do to them. With the prices coming down this seems to be a waste of time, but a good science project.

[russ]

DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions announced the introduction of DuPont PV5400 series thin ionomer-based encapsulant sheets designed to protect sensitive thin film solar modules, while offering manufacturers new ways to cut costs, speed throughput and deliver more power over the life of each unit.

For the rest of the article please see http://www.solardaily.com/reports/Du...tages_999.html

Russ

[lpierce65]

DuPont PV5400

Anybody know if this will be for DIY Consumer, is it available yet ? Price ? where to get it

[russ]

Hi Larry - Welcome to Solar Panel Talk!

Russ

[solaremp]

Superior Essex is not so fine . They want me to buy minimum 7 sylgards and shipping cost would be then $290 !!! So they are even not competitive to simple eBay sellers : seller1 , seller2 .

It is not easy to find any elastomer as a Sylgard 184 replacement .
I started to think about Tedlar . I don't have any heat and pressure table but maybe using heat gun... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1CJhwmMODs

PS : using this Tedlar (eBay) is it really needed to cover cells in front using EVA ?? Why everyboduy use it there (on front of the cells) ??

Kermitas,
I am new to the forum. Actually this is my first post! I havent read every page of this thread yet so I dont know if anyone has told you about this item on ebay. If you are in Poland, this seller on Ebay is in, Raciborz Slaskie, Poland. He is selling UV resitant encapsulant. You should check his product specs, or let someone on the forum who knows about Sylgard, to see if it is comparable. If you already know about it, sorry for the repost.
The item # is 260746909720 SOLAR CELL ENCAPSULANT 1,1l
The item

[electricsuperduty]

I haven't tryed it this way but I have 5 panels and I have tryed different ways to do it. All panels had air. I read somewhere to try it the way i said. I'm useing 5x5 cells now . I have tried 3x6's 4x4;s 6x6's and now 5x5's . I like these better.
i'm in the prosses of making my own frames. Welding them at the 45% angle.
Slygard has been used by manufactures befor EVA came along. I am making a 72 cell also. I have some sylgard on hand now but I want the larger container so I'll know i'll have enough to do the job.

How have the panels done that have air bubbles in them? all mine have bubbles and I was wondering how long they last or should I just scrape them off and start over.
thanks
Todd

[conntaxman]

air bubble

If you can fill the air bubble I would.You can buy a part that fits over a crack and you put a vacuum to it and then you inject your filler into the hole when you release the vacuum.
If you are were the Weather gets below freezing most likely the places were the air is will Burst/Crack , because the air will have moisture in it .
Good luck and have FUN with the project. It's Alot of FUN.
John

[DeltaFox 25]

If you can fill the air bubble I would.You can buy a part that fits over a crack and you put a vacuum to it and then you inject your filler into the hole when you release the vacuum.
If you are were the Weather gets below freezing most likely the places were the air is will Burst/Crack , because the air will have moisture in it .
Good luck and have FUN with the project. It's Alot of FUN.
John

All of my panels have been alright. I have disasebled my panels for now but there are doing real good. I'm going to a different way of sealing them. Glass, slygard, cells , slygard, back sheet

[electricsuperduty]

All of my panels have been alright. I have disasebled my panels for now but there are doing real good. I'm going to a different way of sealing them. Glass, slygard, cells , slygard, back sheet

Your panels made it thru the summer and winter. Maybe the air bubbles are no big deal as long as the cells and panel are sealed. The smaller the cell the more likely you are to get the air out

[Stingervf]

Slygard184

If i used Slygard184 to seal the solar cell why do you need glass on the top couldn't I just build a frame and bottom for structure and leave the top open?

thanks
chris

[electricsuperduty]

the sylgard just keeps the weather of the cells. the glass protects the cells and the frames adds strength to the glass and provides a structure to mount your panel with. i didn't quite get what you said about the bottom and top idea???

[DeltaFox 25]

Hmm I wonder if thats the problem I had with my last panel. I had it drying for a month and it was begining to look like it was ready, but after siting overnight in the garage on its side some of the glue from the front came out. Since I just got some Slygard I repoured it again. Didnt know about the heating. My first panel dried just fine a month earlier. I live in Southern California and its not very cold but it is still cold at night. Could that be the problem?

There is a problem with a Slygard substitute that needs to be shared. solar tite sems to be a knock off or a diluted form of Slygard. I ordered some from Ebay and the first can was less then half full so I had a hell of a time to cover the first panel and when it dried it had open sections. I bought some "real" Slygard and the can was about 3/4th full and the same size. I used it to fill in the spaces.

The second panel was a disaster in more ways than one. Not really sure of why the glue didnt properly cure. The second solar tite can was 1/2 full but I managed to cover most of the cells OK until I tried to stand it on edge over night after a month of drying.

Obviously one major problem with the product was that it seems diluted and wouldn't dry and they are simply giving you less than needed to seal the panel. I complained to them without much results. Electrically both of my panels work and put out 17V at 7Amps, but mechanically this glue problem does not make me feel good. All panels have some small air pockets and I dont know what that is going to do to them. With the prices coming down this seems to be a waste of time, but a good science project.

I was wandering if you mixed the slygard up for 5 complet minutes. thats very inportent, You can't just mix untill you get tired then put it on. It will run on you. I'm sorry you are heving such troubles. The panels I have were out in the cold , snow ,rain and they did survive. I have a different way now to assemble them . Glass,slygard , cells, slygard . Q-Solar had made solar panels like this to sell to the public for years.

[Stingervf]

Slygard184

does the Slygard184 cure to the point that it would protect the cells from foreign objects as well as weather
or do you still need a final barrier to cover the cells

thanks
chris

[DeltaFox 25]

I have nran my panels without a backing and it seems to be alright. Q-Solar has done this for years before
eva came along. There are others that do put a backing on some backings are soft and others are hard.