ThermHex presents its honeycomb cores made from polypropylene (PP) in panels for solar modules at the JEC World in Paris, the world’s largest exhibition for composites. From 25 to 27 April 2023. ThermHex will give industry professionals a first look at the new product variations – Made in Germany.
Cost-effective lightweight: Sandwich panels with PP honeycomb cores and PP/GF UD tape skins find more and more applications
Consisting of two thin cover layers of thermoplastic fiber composites (UD tape glass-fiber reinforced polypropylene) and a ThermHex PP honeycomb core, the Organosandwich PP panels offer a high rigidity at a minimum weight. The thermoplastic material can be formed into complex components and functionalized. The production process is more resource-efficient and significantly less expensive than conventional production of sandwich components. These panels find applications in truck boxes and automotive components as well as solar modules.
ThermHex and Solarge have intensively collaborated to develop the next generation solar panel, removing weight by replacing heavy glass with lightweight honeycomb materials. The result is a fully recyclable alternative to more traditional non-sustainable materials. A panel measuring just over 2.66m2 weighs 14.5kg, compared to over 28kg with the old glass type model.
The companies are replacing the glass traditionally used in solar panels with a composite, honeycomb structure and a polymer frontside. Honeycomb has fantastic mechanical properties, being very strong and very rigid for a given weight or density. Glass panels also need an aluminium frame, and again honeycomb strips this away, removing yet more weight. The new Solarge circular panels enable improved resistance against UV radiation and has much better heat conductivity than glass panels. Solar panels are less efficient as temperature increases and honeycomb delivers a more effective means of controlling temperature.
At the JEC a large sized solar module of Solarge will be presented at the ThermHex / EconCore booth Q 85 in hall 6.
