- Material: IXPE (polyethylene foam)
- Expansion ratio: 8 times (125 kg/m³), 10 times (100 kg/m³), 15 times (66 kg/m³)
- Thickness: 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm (thickness can be customized)
- Colour: black, white, skin tone (colour can be customized)
- Flame retardant grade: UL94 HF-1
Customization
Made to order: density, thickness, colour and shape to your drawing. Die-cutting, CNC routing, lamination to film or fabric, slitting and adhesive coating all run in-house, so the part we quote is a finished part, not just a sheet. How a custom part is cut and routed explains what to send with the drawing.
Regular material: MOQ 1,000 m², lead time 15–20 days from order confirmation. Custom parts are quoted from the drawing. A4 samples are free, shipping included.
PV tape foam is the foam layer used inside a solar module during lamination and assembly. It fixes the cells in position between the glass and the backsheet, seals the frame joint, and beds the junction box to the back of the panel. Because a module is expected to hold its output for twenty-five years, the foam has to survive the same service life without embrittling, creeping or conducting.
Features
- Holds the cell stack in place: the foam fixes cells between glass and backsheet through the lamination cycle, keeping the array aligned while the encapsulant cures.
- Cushioning against mechanical damage: the closed-cell structure absorbs the handling and transport impacts that would otherwise crack a cell.
- Weathering resistance: IXPE holds its properties through the temperature cycling and humidity a rooftop module sees, which is the failure mode a cheap foam fails on. For long-term UV exposure, specify a UV-stabilised grade or a protective facing.
- Dielectric strength: the backing has a high resistivity, which is what keeps the frame and the junction box electrically isolated from the cell string.
- Thin and uniform: 0.5 mm to 2 mm in a controlled gauge, so the lamination stack height stays predictable.
- Flame retardant grade: UL94 HF-1 available.
Applications
- Module lamination – cell fixing between glass and backsheet
- Frame sealing, to keep water and dust out of the module edge
- Junction box mounting on the backsheet
- Mounting and rail interfaces, where a gap has to be filled and isolated
Specifications for PV module tape, where the backing has to survive outdoor exposure on a panel
Tape foam is a backing material: the sheet has to be uniform in thickness, hold an adhesive coat and conform to the surface it is applied to.
| Foam | Expansion | Apparent density | Single-layer thickness | Why this grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IXPE | 25–35× | 28.6–40 kg/m³ | 0.1–15 mm | The usual backing grade, because the fine cell structure gives a uniform thickness across a wide web and single layers down to 0.1 mm. |
| XPE | 20–30× | 33.3–50 kg/m³ | 3–15 mm | Firmer backing where the tape also has to fill a gap or take a compression load. |
Base material specifications are on the XPE, IXPE and IXPP material pages; finished products are on the XPE foam and IXPE foam pages. Tell us the load, the space available and the service temperature and we will confirm the grade against your drawing.
Why Choose Bofeng Foam
We supply the IXPE backing at 8×, 10× or 15× foaming in 0.5 mm, 1 mm and 2 mm, in black, white or skin colour, to UL94 HF-1 where required, and laminated to the adhesive system your process uses. The base material is described on the IXPE foam page. The same dielectric and thermal requirements appear in battery packs – see EV battery foam – and the general industrial backing is under industrial tape foam.
Carrier selection, and how an adhesive is qualified for a permanent bond, are covered in our foam tape guide.
Conclusion & Inquiry
Send the lamination cycle temperatures, the adhesive you are using and the thickness tolerance you need, and we will confirm the backing grade. Contact us for samples.
