Book Description

Selected plastic films which had possible application as encapsulants for thin-film cadmium sulfide solar cells were irradiated in vacuum by ultraviolet light below 3000 angstroms for various lengths of time up to 5266 hours. The light intensity was between 0.67 and 1 times the integrated solar intensity below 3000 angstroms at 1 astronomical unit. The change in optical trans-mission with irradiation time was measured from 0.35 to 2.7 microns, and changes in percent elongation and breaking strength were measured at room temperature. Of the films tested, the most resistant to damage was H-film, a polyimide, and weather-durable Mylar was the next most resistant.