Failure analysis of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 photovoltaic modules: degradation mechanism of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells under harsh environmental conditions

High‐temperature‐induced and humidity‐induced degradation behaviors were investigated through the failure analysis of encapsulated Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) modules and non‐encapsulated CIGS cells. After being exposed to high temperature (85 °C) for 1000 h, the efficiency loss of CIGS modules and the resistivities of the aluminum‐doped zinc oxide (AZO) layer, CIGS layer, and Mo layer were slightly increased. After damp heat (DH) testing (85 °C/85% RH), the efficiency of some modules decreased significantly accompanied by discoloration, and in these areas, the resistivity of the AZO layers increased markedly. The causes of degradation of CIGS cells after high temperature and DH tests were suggested through X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The high‐temperature‐induced degradation behaviors were revealed to be increases in series resistance of the CIGS cells, due to the adsorption of oxygen on the AZO, CIGS, and Mo layers. The degradation behavior after DH (85 °C/85% RH) exposure was caused by the adsorption of oxygen, as well as the generation of Zn(OH)₂ due to water molecules. In particular, the humidity‐induced degradation behavior in discolored CIGS modules was ascribed to the generation of Zn(OH)₂ and carboxylic acids in the AZO layer, due to a chemical reaction between the AZO, ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer, and water. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strengthening effects of sprayed fiber reinforced polymers on concrete

The objectives of this study were twofold. The first was to investigate the compressive and flexural behaviors of small‐sized concrete specimens strengthened with sprayed fiber reinforced polymer (SFRP), considering various fiber lengths, fiber volumes, and concrete strengths. The second was to evaluate the strengthening effects of SFRP on the flexural behaviors of large‐sized reinforced concrete beams. U‐shaped strips and shear keys were applied to the test specimens to improve the interfacial bond resistance between the concrete surface and SFRP. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:722–730, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The effect of the viscosity ratio of dispersed phase to matrix on the rheological,morphological, and mechanical properties of polymer blends containing a LCP

The effect of the viscosity ratio of the dispersed LCP phase to the polystyrene/poly(phenylene oxide) (PS/PPO) thermoplastic matrix on the rheological, morphological, and resultant mechanical properties of the LCP blends was investigated. The viscosity of PS/PPO is largely dependent on the blend composition, so that different levels of viscosity ratios of dispersed LCP phase to PS/PPO thermoplastic matrix are obtained by using PS/PPO premixtures of different blend ratios as a thermoplastic matrix. When the viscosity of the LCP dispersed phase is lower than that of the thermoplastic matrix, finely distributed fibril structure of LCP is obtained. Tensile modulus of injection molded specimens show a positive deviation from the additive rule when the viscosity ratio (η_LCP/η_matrix) is smaller than unity. These improvements in tensile modulus are attributed to the formation of finely distributed LCP fibrils. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Morphological core/shell structure and dispersion stability of water-dispersible copolyester graft polymerized with acrylic acid and ethyl acrylate

Anionic water-dispersible copolyester was prepared by the polycondensation of dimethyl isophathalate (DMI)/5-sodium sulfo dimethyl isophathalate (DMS) with ethylene glycol (EG)/ diethylene glycol (DEG) to synthesize water-dispersible copolyester-g-AA/EAs by chemical method. In the case of graft polymerization of AA/EA onto DMI/DMS/EG/DEG copolyester does not. This is a result of the core/shell structure that was ascertained by the graft yield and the zeta potential of copolyester-g-AA/EAs. It appears that grafted AA/EA exists at the surface of copolyester-g-AA/EA particles, and the backbone polymer, i.e., DMI/DMS/EG/DEG copolyester, exists in the inner phase of the copolyester, -g-AA/EA particles. The complete solubility of copolyester-g-AA/EAs in 1N NaOH aqueous solution seems to come mainly from the electrostatic repulsion between  COOs that are present at the surface of copolyester-g-AA/EA particles due to AA grafting and  OHs that are present at the dispersion medium due to NaOH decomposition and which cause the hydrolytic breakage and consequently the coagulation of copolyesters in alkaline medium. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Modeling of semibatch direct esterification reactor for poly(ethylene terephthalate) synthesis

A comprehensive kinetic model for a semibatch direct esterification reactor has been developed. The solid-liquid equilibirium of terephthalic acid was considered in the modeling. Effects of the monomer feed ratio, reaction temperatures, and oligomer addition on the conversion, degree of polymerization, and the formation of diethylene glycol were studied. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An extrusion system for the processing of microcellular polymer sheets: Shaping and cell growth control

A new processing system for the extrusion of microcellular polymer sheets is presented. Specifically, the detailed design of a shaping and cell growth control system is discussed in the context of an overall extrusion system design with particular emphasis on the system level functional requirements of cell nucleation, cell growth, and shaping. The principle of the basic extrusion system design is to shape a nucleated polymer/gas solution flow under pressure and accurate temperature control. In this way, the initial cell growth is controlled so as to prevent degradation of the nucleated cell density during shaping. Two foaming die designs for satisfying the initial shaping and cell growth requirements are presented. Critical experiments are then presented which verified the concept of shaping a nucleated polymer/gas solution. Moreover, these experiments demonstrated the feasibility of the overall microcellular polymer sheet extrusion system design.     

Genetic Diversity and Association Analysis for Carotenoid Content among Sprouts of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp)

The development and promotion of biofortified foods plants are a sustainable strategy for supplying essential micronutrients for human health and nutrition. We set out to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with carotenoid content in cowpea sprouts. The contents of carotenoids, including lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene in sprouts of 125 accessions were quantified via high-performance liquid chromatography. Significant variation existed in the profiles of the different carotenoids. Lutein was the most abundant (58 ± 12.8 mg/100 g), followed by zeaxanthin (14.7 ± 3.1 mg/100 g) and β-carotene (13.2 ± 2.9 mg/100 g). A strong positive correlation was observed among the carotenoid compounds (r ≥ 0.87), indicating they can be improved concurrently. The accessions were distributed into three groups, following their carotenoid profiles, with accession C044 having the highest sprout carotenoid content in a single cluster. A total of 3120 genome-wide SNPs were tested for association analysis, which revealed that carotenoid biosynthesis in cowpea sprouts is a polygenic trait controlled by genes with additive and dominance effects. Seven loci were significantly associated with the variation in carotenoid content. The evidence of variation in carotenoid content and genomic regions controlling the trait creates an avenue for breeding cowpea varieties with enhanced sprouts carotenoid content.