Multilayered polyolefin-based films having an integrated backsheet and encapsulation performance comprising a layer comprising crystalline block copolymer composite or block copolymer composite

• US 10,759,152 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2018
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bonekamp, Jeffrey E, Hu, Yushan, Nickel, Nichole E., Chu, Lih-Long, Naumovitz, John A., Hofius, Mark G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Samir
• Application Number:
  US16/205,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20190118517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/242 All polymers belonging to those covered by group B32B27/32
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/704 Crystalline
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/12 Photovoltaic modules
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/327 comprising polyolefins obtained by a metallocene or single-site catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0481 characterised by the composition of the encapsulation material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/049 Protective back sheets
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A multilayer film structure including a top encapsulation layer A, a tie Layer B between top Layer A and bottom Layer C and a bottom layer C, the multilayer film structure characterized in that tie Layer B includes a crystalline block composite resin or a block composite resin and bottom Layer C includes a polyolefin having at least one melting point greater than 125 C.

Claims

1. A multilayer film structure comprising:

a top encapsulation Layer A;

a bottom Layer C comprising a propylene-based polymer having at least one melting point greater than 125°

C.;

a tie Layer B between Layer A and Layer C;

the multilayer film structure characterized in that Layer B consists of (1) a block composite resin (BC), (2) an optional polyolefin consisting of ethylene and α

-olefin, (3) an optional colorant, (4) an optional stabilizer, and (5) an optional antioxidant, the BC made from monomers consisting of propylene and ethylene and the BC has

i) an ethylene-propylene copolymer (EP) comprising at least 40 mol % polymerized ethylene;

ii) a crystalline propylene-based polymer (CPP); and

iii) a diblock copolymer comprising (a) an ethylene-propylene block comprising at least 40 mol % polymerized ethylene and (b) a crystalline propylene block.

2. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the CPP comprises greater than 90 mol % polymerized propylene.

3. The multilayer film structure of claim 2 wherein the block composite resin in Layer B has two peak melting temperatures.

4. The multilayer film structure of claim 3 wherein the block composite resin in layer B has a first peak melting temperature greater than 120°

C.

5. The multilayer film structure of claim 4 wherein the block composite resin in layer B has a first peak melting temperature greater than 125°

C.

6. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the crystalline propylene block (iii)(b) of the diblock copolymer is the same composition as the crystalline propylene-based polymer (CPP) of the block composite resin.

7. The multilayer film structure of claim 6 wherein the ethylene-propylene block (iii)(a) of the diblock copolymer is the same composition as the EP copolymer of the block composite resin.

8. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the Layer B block composite resin has an ethylene-propylene block amount in the range of from 30 to 70 weight % based on total weight of the diblock copolymer (iii).

9. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the block composite resin has a CBCI from 0.3 to 0.8.

10. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the tie Layer B is a blend with greater than 40 weight percent of the block composite resin.

11. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the top encapsulation Layer A comprises an ethylene/octene copolymer elastomer or plastomer.

12. The multilayer film structure of claim 11 wherein the top encapsulation Layer A comprises a silane-graft containing ethylene/octene copolymer.

13. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 comprising

the top seal Layer A comprising a silane-graft containing ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer;

the bottom Layer C comprising the propylene-based polymer; and

the tie Layer B between Layer A and Layer C, the block composite resin with

i) an ethylene-propylene polymer (EP) comprising at least 93 mol % polymerized ethylene;

ii) the crystalline propylene-based polymer; and

iii) a diblock copolymer comprising (a) an ethylene-propylene block comprising at least 93 mol % polymerized ethylene and (b) a crystalline propylene block.

14. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 having a thickness from 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm wherein

the top encapsulation Layer A is from 0.15 mm to 1.25 mm in thickness;

the tie Layer B is from 10 to 150 μ

m in thickness; and

Layer C is from 150 to 375 μ

m in thickness.

15. An electronic device (ED) module comprising an electronic device and a multilayer film structure of claim 1.

16. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the Layer (B) consists of (1) the BC, (2) the colorant, (3) the stabilizer that is a UV stabilizer, and (4) the antioxidant.

17. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the Layer (B) consists of (1) the BC, (2) the colorant, and (3) the stabilizer that is a UV stabilizer.

18. The multilayer film structure of claim 1 wherein the Layer (B) consists of (1) the BC, and (2) the colorant.