Robert Dirk van de Grampel

Quantitative Morphology Characterization of New PC-siloxane Copolymer Blends

SABIC recently developed polycarbonate-polysiloxane (PC-siloxane) copolymer blends which offer unique combinations of chemical resistance and low temperature impact ductility compared to polycarbonate (PC) homo-polymers. These novel blends have additional excellent aesthetic properties at high polysiloxane levels in the blend, especially when compared to polycarbonate-polysiloxane copolymers with the same polysiloxane content [1,2]. In PC-siloxane copolymer blends, siloxane forms nano-domains and is dispersed in the PC matrix. As the siloxane nano-domain size and the dispersion have a significant influence on the material properties, it is critical to develop quantitative morphology characterization [3,4] of PC-siloxane copolymer blends to offer a complete understanding of the relationship between material structure and properties.

Investigation of plastic materials for application as PV module connectors

Five different plastic materials have been tested for their candidacy as connectors between PV modules. The tests were based on environmental stresses that a PV module could realistically be expected to endure over several decades in outdoors and include CTI, RTI, flame retardance and impact resistance. The best overall results were seen for polycarbonate / silicone copolymers.