Hydrophobic Self-Cleaning Coatings for Solar Panels

A method for creating a high-efficiency, anti-reflective, and self-cleaning solar cell coating that achieves superior performance compared to conventional materials. The coating is prepared through a novel modification of silica sol that enables enhanced hydrophobicity and anti-reflective properties without the need for aging processes. The modified sol is formulated by combining perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane with n-hexane, which selectively enhances the silica sol's surface properties. The resulting coating exhibits exceptional light transmission in the 300-900 nm range, reaching 99.4% transmittance at 580 nm. This coating can be applied to photovoltaic panels to significantly improve their visible light absorption rate and photoelectric conversion efficiency, while also preventing dirt and dust accumulation.

Source

Superhydrophobic self-cleaning photovoltaic glass with enhanced durability and performance. The glass incorporates a titanium dioxide layer and a perfluorosilane layer, where the perfluorosilane layer is specifically selected from a range of perfluorinated silanes. The titanium dioxide layer enhances light absorption while the perfluorosilane layer prevents water droplets and dust from penetrating the surface, while maintaining electrical conductivity. This combination provides superior self-cleaning properties, reduced maintenance costs, and improved photovoltaic performance.

Source

A room temperature curing ceramic hydrophobic anti-ash and anti-reflective film coating for solar cells that eliminates the need for high-temperature sintering. The coating, comprising a silica sol containing metal oxides, undergoes natural drying at room temperature to form a dense film with ultra-smooth particle accumulation. This process enables the production of a thin film with hydrophobic and dust-proof properties, while maintaining the film's mechanical integrity and surface energy. The coating is suitable for transparent conductive TCO glass and flexible plastic films, enabling the enhancement of solar cell efficiency through natural drying.

Source

A self-cleaning film for photovoltaic modules that enhances durability and environmental performance. The film comprises a hydrophobic base layer with a modified perlite surface treated through annealing, incorporating acrylic resin as the primary polymer component. The treatment process improves hydrophobicity while maintaining mechanical strength, enabling long-term performance in harsh outdoor environments. The film's thickness can range from 0.01 to 1.0 mm, with applications for both standard and high-efficiency solar panels.

Source

A multifunctional self-cleaning nanocoating for solar cells and window surfaces that combines anti-reflective, hydrophobic, and electrostatic properties. The coating features a hydrophobic top layer that repels water and dust, a photocatalytic layer that protects against organic pollutants, and a nanoscale structure that enhances light transmission and reflection control. The coating achieves self-cleaning through a surface modification process that creates a hydrophobic surface through nano-roughness, while maintaining mechanical stability through micro-roughness. This multifunctional coating enables optimized performance across multiple functional requirements without compromising the coating's overall performance.

Source

Fluorine-containing acrylate polymer and an organic/inorganic hybrid self-cleaning anti-reflective coating, and preparation method of the same, for reducing light reflection and achieving self-cleaning properties on solar panels. The coating comprises a fluorine-containing acrylate polymer and an organic/inorganic hybrid self-cleaning anti-reflective coating, where the fluorine-containing acrylate polymer provides hydrophobicity and chemical resistance, while the organic/inorganic hybrid coating incorporates modified nano-silica particles with fluorine-containing groups for enhanced self-cleaning properties and weather resistance.

Source

Long-lasting self-cleaning transparent backsheet for solar modules that prevents dust and debris accumulation on the surface over time. The backsheet has a multi-layer coating structure with a self-cleaning outer layer. The self-cleaning coating contains a disulfide bond-modified filler like Al2O3 and cetyl polysiloxane-modified SiO2. This filler mix provides a rough micro-nano surface structure that repels dust and debris. The disulfide bonds allow the filler to heal and reform connections if damaged, maintaining the self-cleaning properties. The backsheet also has weather-resistant and adhesive coatings beneath the self-cleaning layer.

Source

A superhydrophobic coating that combines high reflectivity with self-cleaning and frost resistance properties. The coating achieves superior performance through a novel preparation method involving a combination of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, heavy calcium carbonate microparticles, and vulcanized silicone rubber. The surface is modified through a process of spraying, where the titanium dioxide enhances the coating's optical reflectivity, while the calcium carbonate provides mechanical stability and the silicone rubber ensures chemical resistance. The coating demonstrates exceptional wear resistance, self-cleaning capabilities under natural rainfall, and frost resistance in cold environments, making it suitable for various industrial applications.

Source

A double-layer radiation refrigeration hydrophobic coating material and its preparation method enables efficient, stable, and large-scale production of a coating that combines the benefits of radiation cooling with self-cleaning properties. The coating comprises a radiation primer made from titanium dioxide (TiO2) and polymer, and a reflective topcoat comprising hydrophobically modified TiO2 particles. The hydrophobically modified TiO2 particles are prepared through a process that involves silane modification of TiO2 particles. The coating is prepared through spraying, dipping, or roller coating of the primer onto a substrate, followed by the deposition of the hydrophobically modified TiO2 topcoat. This coating provides both radiation cooling and self-cleaning capabilities, making it suitable for applications in building energy-saving systems, solar photovoltaic systems, and other fields where energy efficiency and environmental sustainability are critical.

Source

A coating material for photovoltaic solar panels that combines anti-reflective and self-cleaning properties through a novel nanocomposite system. The coating comprises a matrix of polylactic acid (PLA) with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles as base components. This nanocomposite system enables the coating material to exhibit both hydrophobic and photocatalytic properties, while maintaining compatibility with glass substrates. The coating achieves its self-cleaning effect through the hydrophobic interaction between the coating material and water droplets, while preventing direct sunlight reflection. This innovative coating material enables enhanced solar energy conversion while maintaining environmental sustainability.

Source

A self-cleaning coating for solar cells that combines a hydrophobic surface layer with a durable, durable hydrophobic coating. The coating comprises a silicone resin diluent, epoxy resin diluent, and hydrophobic fumed silica dispersion suspension. The silicone resin diluent is prepared by dissolving silicone resin and curing agent in a first organic solvent. The epoxy resin diluent is prepared by dissolving epoxy resin and curing agent in a second organic solvent. The hydrophobic fumed silica dispersion suspension is prepared by dispersing hydrophobic fumed silica in a third organic solvent. The coating is applied to solar cell encapsulation glass, followed by a controlled drying process that creates a hydrophobic surface layer. The coating exhibits exceptional self-cleaning properties, maintaining high light transmission and hydrophobicity even after exposure to environmental contaminants.

Source

A new hydrophobic transparent coating for glass surfaces that combines durability and transparency. The coating is created through a single-step sol-gel synthesis process at room temperature using a combination of silicon dioxide precursors and organic solvents. The formulation enables the production of a hydrophobic and transparent coating that can be applied to glass surfaces through various coating methods, including bar coating, dip coating, wipe coating, and slot-die coating. The coating exhibits excellent durability and optical transparency while maintaining hydrophobic properties, making it suitable for applications requiring both cleaning resistance and optical clarity, particularly in photovoltaic and building industries.

Source

A self-cleaning solar panel with enhanced durability and performance through a novel surface coating that combines superhydrophobicity with photocatalytic properties. The coating comprises micron-sized glass microspheres containing titanium, which provide both hydrophobic and photocatalytic functions. The coating is applied to the solar panel surface and undergoes heat treatment and curing to achieve the desired properties. The titanium-containing glass microspheres replace the conventional superhydrophobic coating, while maintaining the photocatalytic activity that enables self-cleaning. The coating's performance is evaluated through standardized tests, including dust and oil resistance, stain resistance, and color change measurements.

Source

A super-hydrophobic coating that achieves self-cleaning, anti-fog, and corrosion resistance through a novel combination of silane-modified polymer and micro-nano particle structures. The coating consists of a silane-modified polymer matrix, micro-nano particles with particle sizes between 1-100 nm, and a specialized auxiliary agent. The silane-modified polymer provides hydrophobic properties, while the micro-nano particles enhance surface roughness and create a hydrophobic-anti-fog interface. The coating can be applied through various methods, including spin coating, dip coating, and spraying, and exhibits superior performance compared to conventional fluorine-based coatings.

Source

A transparent, long-lasting, easy-to-clean, flame-retardant, and antifouling coating for photovoltaic panels that provides enhanced light transmission, hydrophobicity, and durability. The coating comprises a fluorine-containing silicon resin with a controlled ratio of resin to photoinitiator, combined with a photocurable coating mother liquor. The resin provides excellent light transmission properties while the photoinitiator enhances curing efficiency. The coating is formulated to maintain its hydrophobic surface properties and adhere to the photovoltaic substrate even under prolonged cleaning and environmental exposure.

Source

Wear-resistant super-hydrophobic photovoltaic glass with enhanced light transmission and mechanical durability through a novel nanostructured surface preparation method. The preparation process involves a controlled acid-catalyzed SiO2 sol preparation, followed by a specific nano-SiO2 sol preparation with a base-catalyzed nano-SiO2 sol. The resulting nanostructured surface exhibits superior wear resistance and hydrophobicity compared to conventional super-hydrophobic coatings, while maintaining high light transmission and mechanical stability. The preparation method enables the creation of wear-resistant super-hydrophobic photovoltaic glass with enhanced self-cleaning properties.

Source

Solar glass anti-reflective coating with self-cleaning functionality that combines high light transmission with enhanced cleaning performance. The coating comprises a self-cleaning high-reflection solar glass that incorporates a novel nanostructured surface with integrated photocatalytic properties. The coating's surface features nanostructured titanium dioxide particles that can be activated by light to facilitate self-cleaning through photocatalytic reactions. This dual-function coating achieves superior cleaning efficiency while maintaining high light transmission, making it particularly suitable for applications with heavy industrial pollution.

Source

A method for creating hydrophobic surfaces on substrates through the application of uniform, nanoscale surface roughness. The process involves depositing a polymer layer onto a substrate, then applying a uniform dispersion of hydrophobic particles or superhydrophobic particles to the polymer layer. The particles are either partially embedded or fixedly dispersed, forming a uniform outer layer with hydrophobic properties. The resulting surface exhibits superior wetting resistance and prevents ice accumulation, while also enabling efficient energy generation for solar panels and other applications.

Source

A photovoltaic module with enhanced snow management capabilities through a hydrophobic coating that prevents ice formation while maintaining solar efficiency. The coating, comprising a long-chain alkyl group derived from silane chemistry, forms a thin layer on the module surface with exceptional hydrophobic properties. This coating layer prevents snow from forming on the module surface, while the underlying photovoltaic cells continue to generate electricity. The coating can be prepared through a condensation reaction between the alkyl group and tetraethyl silicate, resulting in a uniform thickness of 1-5 μm.

Source

A method for preparing a photovoltaic glass coating with enhanced light transmission and anti-fouling properties. The coating comprises a fluorine-containing resin powder applied to a photovoltaic glass surface, followed by a controlled hydrothermal treatment to create uniform micropores. This process enables the formation of an anti-reflection layer with improved light transmission characteristics, while simultaneously introducing a durable and hydrophobic antifouling coating that prevents water and stains from damaging the glass surface.

Source