Articles such as safety laminates and solar cell modules containing high melt flow acid copolymer compositions

1. A process for manufacturing a solar cell module, said process comprising the steps of:

(i) providing a composition consisting essentially of a non-neutralized acid copolymer of a non-neutralized acid copolymer of an alpha olefin and about 15 to about 23 wt % of alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbons, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer, wherein the acid copolymer has a Melt Index of greater than 100 to about 600 g/10 min, as measured by ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and under a load of 2160 g; and about 0.01 to about 10 wt %, based upon the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of an organic peroxide;

(ii) compounding the composition at a temperature of 100° C. or less to prevent premature cross-linking;

(iii) extruding the composition at a temperature of 100° C. or less to form a polymeric film or sheet;

(iv) forming a solar cell pre-laminate assembly comprising the polymeric film or sheet and a solar cell component, said solar cell component comprising one or a plurality of solar cells; and

(v) laminating the solar cell pre-laminate assembly to form the solar cell module by subjecting the solar cell pre-laminate assembly to heat at a temperature of 115° C. or greater to cure the composition and, optionally, subjecting the assembly to vacuum, to positive pressure, or to a second heating step at a temperature of 145° C.;

wherein the composition of the polymeric film or sheet is cross-linked in the solar cell module.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein (a) the alpha olefin is ethylene; (b) the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, monomethyl maleic acid, and mixtures thereof; and (c) the acid copolymer has a Melt Index of greater than 100 to about 400 g/10 min.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the acid copolymer comprises about 18 to about 23 wt % of repeat units from the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises about 0.5 to about 3.0 wt % of the organic peroxide, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, and the organic peroxide is selected from the group consisting of 2,5-dimethylhexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-betylperoxy)hexane-3, di-tert-butyl peroxide, tert-butylcumyl peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)hexane, dicumyl peroxide, alpha,alpha′-bis(tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene, n-butyl-4,4-bis(tert-butylperoxy)valerate, 2,2-bis(tert-butylperoxy)butane, 1,1-bis(tert-butyl-peroxy)cyclohexane, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexane, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, benzoyl peroxide and mixtures thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric film or sheet has a thickness of about 0.1 to about 20 mils.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the polymeric film or sheet has a thickness of about 0.1 to about 20 mils;

(b) the alpha olefin is ethylene;

(c) the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, monomethyl maleic acid, and mixtures thereof;

(d) the acid copolymer has a Melt Index of greater than 100 to about 400 g/10 min;

(e) the acid copolymer comprises about 18 to about 23 wt % of repeat units from the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid; and

(f) wherein the composition comprises about 0.5 to about 3.0 wt % of the organic peroxide, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, and the organic peroxide is selected from the group consisting of 2,5-dimethylhexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-betylperoxy)hexane-3, di-tert-butyl peroxide, tert-butylcumyl peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)hexane, dicumyl peroxide, alpha,alpha′-bis(tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene, n-butyl-4,4-bis(tert-butylperoxy)valerate, 2,2-bis(tert-butylperoxy)butane, 1,1-bis(tert-butyl-peroxy)cyclohexane, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexane, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, benzoyl peroxide and mixtures thereof.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the acid copolymer comprises about 19 to about 22 wt % of repeat units from the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises about 0.01 to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of a silane coupling agent.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the composition comprises about 0.05 to about 1 wt % of the silane coupling agent, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, and the silane coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of gamma-chloropropylmethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltris(beta-methoxyethoxy)silane, gamma-vinylbenzylpropyltrimethoxysilane, N-beta-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltrichlorosilane, gamma-mercaptopropylmethoxysilane, gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-beta-(aminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, and mixtures thereof.

10. The process of claim 6 , wherein the composition further comprises about 0.01 to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of a silane coupling agent.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the solar cell pre-laminate assembly contains an additional layer selected from the group consisting of glass, other polymeric interlayer sheets, polymeric film layers, and metal films or sheets.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solar cell pre-laminate assembly comprises an incident layer that is formed of a transparent material and serves as an outer layer at the light-receiving side of the assembly.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solar cell pre-laminate assembly comprises a backing layer that is formed of glass, a plastic film or sheet, or a metal film or sheet and serves as an outer layer at the back side of the assembly.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the solar cell pre-laminate assembly comprises a backing layer that is formed of glass, a plastic film or sheet, or a metal film or sheet and serves as an outer layer at the back side of the assembly.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solar cell pre-laminate assembly further comprises a second polymeric encapsulant layer that is positioned next to the solar cell component on the opposite side from the polymeric film or sheet, wherein the second polymeric encapsulant layer comprises a polymeric composition selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl acetal), ethylene vinyl acetate, polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, polyethylenes, polyolefin block elastomers, ethylene acrylate ester copolymers, copolymer of alpha olefin and alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and ionomers thereof, silicone elastomers and epoxy resins.

16. The process of claim 6 , wherein the solar cell pre-laminate assembly comprises (a) an incident layer that is formed of a transparent material and serves as an outer layer at the light-receiving side of the solar cell pre-laminate assembly, and (b) a backing layer that is formed of glass, a plastic film or sheet, or a metal film or sheet and serves as an outer layer at the back side of the solar cell pre-laminate assembly.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the solar cell pre-laminate assembly further comprises a second polymeric encapsulant layer that is positioned next to the solar cell component on the opposite side from the polymeric film or sheet, wherein the second polymeric encapsulant layer comprises a polymeric composition selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl acetal), ethylene vinyl acetate, polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, polyethylenes, polyolefin block elastomers, ethylene acrylate ester copolymers, copolymer of alpha olefin and alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and ionomers thereof, silicone elastomers and epoxy resins.

18. The process of claim 16 , wherein the composition further comprises about 0.01 to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of a silane coupling agent.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the composition contains about 0.05 to about 1 wt % of the silane coupling agent, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, and the silane coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of gamma-chloropropylmethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltris(beta-methoxyethoxy)silane,gamma-vinylbenzylpropyltrimethoxysilane, N-beta-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltrichlorosilane, gamma-mercaptopropylmethoxysilane, gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-beta-(aminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, and mixtures thereof.

20. The process of claim 17 , wherein the composition further comprises about 0.01 to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of a silane coupling agent.