Dow Chemical Kick Starts ENLIGHT Polyolefin Encapsulant Film Production in Thailand

Dow Chemical has started the ENLIGHT polyolefin encapsulant film production in the Map Ta Phut, Thailand site for photovoltaic solar panel applications.

The advanced Map Ta Phut production facility enables Dow Chemical to immediately increase its worldwide production capacity by two fold. The company is also building a third production facility for this polyolefin encapsulant film on a site in Schkopau, Germany. It also operates a manufacturing facility in Findlay, Ohio.

Dow Chemicals polyolefin-based encapsulant films deliver panel manufacturers with unique benefits over other materials. ENLIGHT films extend the operating life of modules as they have enhanced moisture resistance and better electrical properties. The companys research demonstrates that ENLIGHT films help photovoltaic solar panels retain efficiency when assessed in damp heat conditions for over 10,000 h. The panels made of ENLIGHT film also demonstrate considerable enhancement in PID resistance, thanks to the films remarkable electrical insulation properties.

ENLIGHT films help panel manufacturers achieve a 30% reduction in lamination cycle times, thus improving capacity and yield. Since these films do not generate corrosion-causing acetic acid, they enable panel makers to decrease damage to modules and equipment. According to performance-based tests carried out by TUV Rheinland, solar panels made of these films met all industry specifications (IEC 61215).

Dow Chemical provides several commercial grades of ENLIGHT encapsulant films to allow customers design formulations based on their specific requirements. Besides offering ENLIGHT encapsulant films, the company also produces MOR-FREE solvent-free laminating adhesives and ADCOTE solvent-based adhesives for polyglycol heat transfer fluids, electronic materials for photoelectric cell production, backsheet products, and DOW POWERHOUSE solar shingles for use in residential applications.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the worlds most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dows diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Companys more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.