Investigation of the Properties of Poly Buty-Methacrylate, Polystyrene and their Blends in Order to Create Innovative Solar Cell Encapsulants’

Solar cell encapsulation represents a critical aspect of solar module design as it serve as a shield to sensitive active layers from environmental degradation, mechanical wear, and chemical instability. Conventional encapsulant materials such as Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) have been extensively deployed within the solar industry. However, they pose several limitations including susceptibility to UV radiation which eventually leads to yellowing, moisture permeation, thermal instability and mechanical stress. These challenges often impact photovoltaic module performance, reduced module lifespan and increased maintenance costs, thereby hindering the general reliability and economic viability of solar energy technologies. This research therefore investigated Poly Butyl Methacrylate (PBMA), Polystyrene and their blends in respective ratios as advanced encapsulants designed to overcome these challenges. Butyl methacrylate and polystyrene were polymerized using free radical polymerization to obtain poly butyl methacrylate (PBMA) and polystyrene (PS) respectively. The blends were obtained by mixing BMA and PS in the ratio of (25/75)% and (75/25)% of PS:BMA before polymerization. The samples were examined to determine their adhesive properties, optical transparency, resistance to moisture ingress and UV degradation simulating real world scenario. PBMA and (25/75)% blend demonstrated chemical stability, resistance to UV radiation, good optical clarity, and good resistance to moisture ingress. The (75/25)% blend also maintained good adhesion, optical clarity but degraded earlier than PBMA. Pure Polystyrene suffered degradation to UV radiation and weak adhesive properties but showed good strength in moisture resistance. These findings demonstrate that all the polymers but pure polystyrene offer a promising combination of chemical inertness, mechanical robustness and optical performance capable of extending photovoltaic module lifetimes thereby reducing operational costs and enhancing energy yield.

Encapsulant, Solar Cells, Polymer, Poly-Butyl Methacrylate, Polystyrene, Degradation

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