IP Library Granted Patent US 8,569,437
Granted Patent B2
US 8,569,437 · App. 13/732,683 · Granted Oct 29, 2013

Encapsulating material for solar cell

Inventors: Koichi Nishijima (Ichihara, JP); Akira Yamashita (Chiyoda-ku, JP)
Assignees: Du Pont-Mitsui Polychemicals, Co., Ltd.; Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello, Inc.
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,569,437
App. No.
13/732,683
Granted
Oct 29, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solar cell encapsulated with an encapsulating material which is a non-crystalline or low-crystalline α-olefin-based copolymer or its composition (I). The composition (C) can contain 50 to 100 parts by weight of non-crystalline α-olefin polymer (A) which meets the following requirements: (a) the α-olefin having 3 to 20 carbon atoms is not less than 20 mol %, (b) practically no melt peak as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is observed, and (c) the Mw/Mn is not more than 5, and 50 to 0 parts by weight of crystalline α-olefin polymer (B) (the total of (A) and (B) being 100 parts by weight). The non-crystalline or low-crystalline α-olefin copolymer may also have a crystallinity of not higher than 40% as measured by use of X rays.

Claims (5)

1. A solar cell module which is obtained by using a solar cell encapsulating material comprising a copolymer of ethylene and α-olefin containing 50 to 90 mol % of ethylene polymerization unit and 50 to 10 mol % of polymerization unit of α-olefin other than ethylene, and having a crystallinity of 1 to 40% as measured by use of X rays, a melt flow rate (MFR) of 0.1 to 50 g/10 minutes and Shore D hardness of not higher than 60.

2. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of cross-linking agents, cross-linking accelerators, silane-coupling agents, antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers and light stabilizers is compounded to the copolymer.

3. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the haze of the copolymer at the thickness of 0.5 mm is not higher than 10%.

4. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the solar cell encapsulating material layer is cross-linked.

5. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the solar cell encapsulating material is in the form of sheet.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Sep 19, 2025
From: RM TOHCELLO CO., LTD.
To: MITSUI CHEMICALS ICT MATERIA, INC.
Reel/Frame 072307/0330 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 19, 2025
From: MITSUI CHEMICALS TOHCELLO, INC.
To: RM TOHCELLO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 072911/0466 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 27, 2019
From: DU PONT-MITSUI POLYCHEMICALS CO., LTD.
To: DOW-MITSUI POLYCHEMICALS COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 049606/0841 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2004-381061 · Dec 28, 2004 · national
JP 2004-381109 · Dec 28, 2004 · national
Continuity (3)
Division 12861187 · Aug 23, 2010
Division 11794353
Related Publication 20130125986A1 · May 23, 2013