BASF Presents Innovative Products for the Solar Industry in Hamburg

From Sept. 21 – 24, BASF will be presenting its range of innovative products for the solar industry at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) in Hamburg, Germany. The conference and exhibition, which is one of the most important worldwide for the solar and photovoltaic sector, will be taking place for the 24th time.

At BASF’s booth B6/39 in Hall B6, BASF experts will inform industry professionals about the company’s comprehensive portfolio of products and services. Apart from SELURIS, a range of innovative chemical solutions for wafer processing, they will present a new laser printing technology and the silver conductive pastes specifically designed for it as well as COLO-FAST, a UV-stable polyurethane system for the frames of photovoltaic and solar panels.

With the Seluris range of products, BASF offers customers an all-round solution for cutting, etching, texturing and doping mono- and polycrystalline solar cells. The special feature of Seluris is that, under this name, the company bundles chemicals that are specifically geared to the solar cell manufacturing process. Thus, for example, the purity levels are tailored for use in solar cell production.

Within the solar cell manufacturing process, BASF cutting fluids are used as cooling and lubricating agents when the wafers are sawn from the high-purity silicon blocks. Special etching and texturing chemicals eliminate the saw damage and the “patterning” created on the wafer surfaces. High-purity phosphorus oxychloride (POCl3) from a new production plant is used for subsequent doping of the wafers.

In addition, the company is working on innovative, new chemical solutions to optimize the production processes and increase the efficiency of solar cells, which will mean greater profitability for customers. These solutions include, for example, improved cutting fluids, with which wafers can be cut even more quickly and thinner.

In Hamburg, BASF will, for the first time, be presenting the contact-free digital laser transfer printing process developed by the company as well as the corresponding lead-free pastes for the metallization of wafers/solar cells. This new process for crystalline solar cells reduces the breakage rate during metallization and enables customers to handle even thinner solar cells (below 180 µm). Further advantages are the environment-friendly lead-free paste technology and a simplified process with high throughput. Beyond that, the new silver conductive pastes are also suitable for use in conventional wafer production (screen printing process).

With the new COLO-FAST polyurethane casting system, BASF’s subsidiary Elastogran offers quick, economical and secure framing ofphotovoltaic and solar panels. The UV-stable PU system is able to replace the aluminum frames normally used in the past and opens up a variety of frame design opportunities for customers: the PU casting system is poured directly onto the solar cells.

Apart from the greater design freedom for solar and photovoltaic modules, COLO-FAST provides faster production times, better edge protection, extreme resistance to weathering and high UV resistance. Consequently, very flexible shapes can be cast, different shades of color achieved and – according to the customer’s particular requirements – light, thinner or thicker frames produced.