Weatherability tests of plastic glazing materials for collectors

Conference · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6020928

Clark, A F

Glass has been the traditional glazing material for solar energy collectors; however, thin plastics are much cheaper and easier to install. Most clear plastics deteriorate in the weather and are particularly vulnerable to ultra-violet light (and to elevated temperatures). Therefore various kinds of plastics were tested by exposing them to direct sun-light and also to accelerated weathering at Desert Sunshine Exposure Test, Inc., near Phoenix. Comparable exposures gave consistent degradations. The plastics tested included acrylics, weatherable vinyl (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), Tedlar coated fiberglass and Tedlar coated vinyl. Heat seals degraded rapidly, especially at the edges. Acrylics lasted for the equivalent of 20 years. Weatherable PE performs adequately for a year or so, weatherable PVC about two years, Tedlar coated PVC about eight years.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6020928
• Report Number(s): UCRL-81877; CONF-790541-11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
ACRYLATES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
FIBERGLASS
GLAZING MATERIALS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PERFORMANCE
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
POLYPROPYLENE
POLYVINYLS
PVC
SERVICE LIFE
SOLAR COLLECTORS
WEATHERING