Radiation curable adhesives for reflective laminated solar panels, laminated solar panels including radiation curable adhesives, and/or associated methods

1. A method of making an article, the method comprising:

providing a first low-iron glass substrate, the first substrate having a thickness of about 0.5-3 mm;

disposing a reflective coating on a major surface of the first substrate;

disposing a UV radiation curable laminating adhesive over the reflective coating, wherein the laminating adhesive comprises from about 80 to 99.5% total oligomer, from about 1 to 5% adhesion promoter, and from about 0.1 to 1% photoinitiator;

providing a second glass substrate substantially parallel to the first substrate, the second substrate being oriented over the UV radiation curable laminating adhesive;

irradiating the substrates such that UV radiation causes the adhesive to become a solid polymer interlayer to laminate together the first substrate with the reflective coating disposed thereon and the second substrate to form a reflective article, wherein the laminating adhesive is cured using said UV radiation at a wavelength of from about 340 to 430 nm,

wherein the reflective article has a reflectivity of at least 90 percent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the first substrate is about 1.6 mm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminating adhesive is cured using said UV radiation at a wavelength of from about 350 to 420 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminating adhesive is cured using said UV radiation at a wavelength of from about 350 to 390 nm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminating adhesive is cured using said UV radiation at a wavelength of from about 390 to 420 nm.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second substrate includes more iron than the first substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the total oligomer comprises aliphatic urethane acrylate resins.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photoinitiator has maximum UV absorption at from about 350 to 390 nm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer interlayer appears at least one of hazy and sateen following said irradiating.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deleting 0.5-5 mm of the reflective coating from around a periphery of the first substrate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer interlayer has a thickness from about 0.1-1.0 mm after said irradiating.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate is at least twice as thick as the first substrate.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate includes a major surface area that is larger than a major surface area of the first substrate.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating comprises a plurality of thin film layers including a silver-based layer and a copper-based layer over and contacting the silver-based layer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reflective coating further comprises a tin-inclusive layer, the tin-inclusive layer being interposed between and contacting both the first substrate and the silver-based layer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the silver-based layer is from about 80 mg per square foot to 95 mg per square foot.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminating together of the first and second substrates hermetically seals the reflective coating between the first and second substrates.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer interlayer appears hazy following said irradiating.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer interlayer appears sateen following said irradiating.