UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act
of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 11,
2008

 

BIOSOLAR, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

 

 

 

27936 Lost Canyon Road, Suite 202 , Santa Clarita, CA 91387

(Address of principal executive offices and Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (661)
251-0001

 

Copies to:

Gregory Sichenzia, Esq.

Marcelle S. Balcombe, Esq.

Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP

61 Broadway, 32 nd Floor

New York, New York 10006

Phone: (212) 930-9700

Fax: (212) 930-9725

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any
of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)

o  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule
14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o  Pre-commencement communications
pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o  Pre-commencement communications
pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On August 12, 2008, Biosolar, Inc. (the =93Company=94) will make a
presentation to scientists.  A copy of the Company=92s presentation is
attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1. 

 

The Company is furnishing the information in this Current Report on
Form 8-K and in Exhibits 99.1 to comply with Regulation FD. Such
information shall not be deemed to be "filed" for purposes of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject
to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed to be
incorporated by reference into any of the Company=92s filings under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and
regardless of any general incorporation language in such filings, except
to the extent expressly set forth by specific reference in such a
filing.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

 

 
 
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Bio Based Backsheet

 

Stanley B. Levy

  BioSolar, Inc.

 

ABSTRACT

 

A primary goal of Photovoltaics is to generate electricity while
reducing reliance on the world=92s petroleum supply. However, PV
backsheets are produced from petro-based chemicals, which, to a certain
extent, defeat the purpose of using solar energy. Materials from three
sustainable resources were targeted for PV backsheet development: PLA
made from corn, a cellulosic made from cotton, and a type of nylon made
from castor beans. Some of these films were coated with various
materials to lower the WVTR.

 

Modules produced using these backsheets were subjected to rigorous
testing, including the damp heat test and the wet Hypot test as outlined
in UL 1703.

 

As cast PLA film tends to be very brittle. This problem is solved with
additives or biaxial orientation. PLA film is UV stable and highly
transparent which would merit it for consideration as a front glazing as
well as for a backsheet. However, its moisture resistance is not robust.

 

A cellulosic film made from cotton was considered which has a continuous
duty temperature rating of 105 o C. This product had to be
modified significantly to convert it from a hydrophilic film to a
hydrophobic one. Additionally, this material has an RTI value of 90
o C.

 

Nylon 11, produced from castor beans, is very interesting because it is
bio-sustainable, but not biodegradable. It has improved moisture
properties over the more common nylons, and has an RTI value of 105
o C.

 

Keywords: Photovoltaic, backsheet, PLA, cellulosic,
nylon 11

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A primary goal of Photovoltaics is to generate electricity while
reducing reliance on the world=92s petroleum supply. However, PV
backsheets are produced from petro-based chemicals, which, to a certain
extent, defeat the purpose of using solar energy. Materials from three
sustainable resources were targeted for PV backsheet development: PLA
made from corn, a cellulosic made from cotton, and nylon 11 made from
castor beans. Some of these films were coated with various materials to
lower the WVTR.

 

1. PLA (POLYLACTIC ACID)

 

 

PLA has been getting much publicity lately because it is produced from a
sustainable resource, corn, and is biodegradable. It is relatively
inexpensive and it is meant to compete with polyethylene and polyester
type resins in single use applications such as department store and
supermarket bags, food and drink containers, and throw away tableware.
Although many biodegradable resins are being discussed, PLA is the only
one which is readily available.

 

1.2 PLA film

 

PLA resin can be extruded into film. However, this film tends of be very
brittle. This problem can be solved in one of two ways: orientation or
with the use of additives. Orientation preserves the transparency of the
film while additives do not. PLA resin was successfully extruded into
film and biaxially oriented on a large scale at the Marshall & Williams
Biaxial Orientation Laboratory of Parkinson Technologies, Inc., in
Woonsocket, RI. A schematic of a biaxial orientation line is shown in
Figure 1. A typical biax line consists of six sections: Extrusion &
Casting Systems, Beta Gauge, MDO/CRD System, TDO/Oven System, Surface
Treatment/Beta Gauge Systems, and Turret Winder.

 

 

 

Figure 1. Typical Biaxial Orientation Line

 

This produced a magnificently clear and tough film. The downside is that
there is a fairly narrow process window and a biaxial orientation system
is a very capital intensive production line. Uniaxial (Machine
Direction) orientation is a significantly less expensive process, and
has been shown to improve a variety of properties. Unfortunately, this
process did not solve the PLA film brittleness problem. However, a state
of the art version of MD orientation did. This process is known as
Compression Roll Draw (CRD). A schematic of an MDO/CRD machine is shown
in Figure 2. The only difference between the two machines is that the
gap between the slow and fast draw rolls in the MDO is larger than the
thickness of the input film, and that the same gap in the CRD machine is
smaller than the thickness of the input film.

 

 

Figure 2. Schematic of MDO/CRD Machine

 

The key to CRD is the application of a compressive force to the film
during stretching, which imparts some degree of orientation
perpendicular to the plane of the film. This process yielded a film with
sufficient elongation to be used in PV. However, it was difficult to
properly heat stabilize the film while preserving the gauge uniformity.
I feel that this issue can be solved with further process development,
but the decision was made to look at the use of additives and the
extrusion only process. Of course, this process is less expensive that
the CRD process.

 

1.3 PLA film with additive

 

Several companies produce additives to reduce the brittleness of PLA
films. We chose to work with Standridge of Social Circle, GA. They
developed a special additive package for us which they compounded into
PLA resin for us. We were able to extrude high quality film, having the
required dimensional stability, which passed the locally developed
=93Steel Ball Test=94. This test consisted of putting the film on a concrete
floor and dropping a 2=94 diameter steel ball on it from waist height. PLA
film with no additive shattered. The film with the additive did not.

 

 

1.4 PLA film in modules

 

Several small modules were produced using the filled PLA film as the
backsheet. These modules were made at SBM Solar, of Concord, NC. They
were of the standard glass/EVA/cells/EVA/backsheet construction. The PLA/backsheet
adhesion was excellent, and there was no backsheet wrinkling or bubbling
problem. The problem came in the damp heat test, however. PLA is an
interesting product in that is not degraded by any =93real world=94
atmospheric conditions, but it will decompose in a compost pile. The
problem is that the PLA backsheet recognizes the IEC defined damp heat
test (1000 hours in an atmosphere of 85 o C and 85%RH) as a
compost pile. Figure 3 illustrates the front and back of a test module
after the damp heat test.

 

 

Figure 3. Front and Back of PLA Test Module after Damp Heat Test

 

PLA film may be down, but it is certainly not out. We are constantly on
the lookout for alternate grades of this polymer which may be more
resistant to degradation.

 

2. CELLULOSIC FILM

 

2.1 The manufacturing process

 

The process starts with 100% recycled cotton rags. The rags are
inspected for quality and all foreign material such as metal and
synthetics are removed. After the material passes inspection, it is size
reduced from about 1 ft 2 to about 1 in 2 . It
then undergoes a bleaching and an additional contaminates removal
process. The rag stock is further size reduced, washed, and fibrillated.
The pulp undergoes an additional cleaning step and diluted for entry
into the film making machine where the pulp is compressed and solidified
in the final compression machine to form the film, and it undergoes an
additional drying step. It is then calendered which increases the
specific gravity from 0.70 to 1.25.

 

2.2 Advantages of this particular type of film

 

These types of film have been around for almost 100 years. They are used
in many dielectric applications, most of which are moisture susceptible.
Some of these are power tools, garbage disposers, electrical contact
barriers, and terminal boards. Needless to say, they have UL
certification. In addition, they have an RTI value of 90 o C
which is required for PV backsheets. Even though the manufacturing
processes of these films are highly sophisticated, they are produced
from an inexpensive precursor, and therefore cost effective.

 

2.3 The cellulosic as a PV backsheet

 

The primary manufacturer of electrical insulation films in the United
States is the Cottrell Paper Company of Rock City Falls, NY. We worked
closely with Cottrell to upgrade the product for PV backsheet needs. Two
modifications were made: a proprietary additive was blended into the
film to make it hydrophobic rather than hydrophilic, and an epoxy
coating was put on both sides of the film. Modules were produced using
this product as a backsheet. The adhesion to EVA was excellent, and
there were no wrinkling problems. A small module was subjected to the
damp heat test and the results are shown in Figure 4. It is easily seen
that the backsheet material survived the test.

 

 

 

Figure 4. Front and Back of Test Module with Electrical Paper Backsheet
after Damp Heat Test

 

3. NYLON 11

 

3.1 What is nylon 11?

 

Nylon 11 is a very interesting material. It is produced from castor
beans which are a sustainable resource, but unlike PLA, it is not
biodegradable. However, like most thermoplastics, it is recyclable. In
addition, it has superior moisture related properties to those of the
more commonly known grades of nylon. Both the moisture absorption and
the WVTR are about five times lower than those properties of the more
common nylon 6. The reason for this is in the relative structures. The
backbone of nylon 11consists of ten methylene (water hating) carbons and
one carbonyl (water loving) carbon. The backbone of nylon 6 consists of
five methylene carbons and one carbonyl carbon. The ratio of water
hating carbons to water loving carbons for nylon 11 is double that for
nylon 6. In addition, nylon 11 has a continuous duty temperature rating
of 125 o C.

 

3.2 Nylon 11 as a photovoltaic backsheet

 

There is only one manufacturer of nylon 11 resin in the entire world:
Arkema, Inc. Arkema is an international company, with their US
Headquarters in Philadelphia, PA. Working with them, we developed the
optimum resin grade for a PV backsheet. This resin contains an additive
package which includes both a UV and a thermal stabilizer.

 

Nylon 11 would appear to make a desirable backsheet by itself.
Unfortunately, it is significantly more expensive than the electrical
insulation film, and it would not represent a significant cost savings
over the incumbent backsheet materials. However, this polymer, in
combination with the insulation film should make for an excellent and
very cost effective backsheet. In addition for providing for a
relatively thin layer of the polymer, there would no longer be the need
for epoxy coating of the insulation film. The exposed side of the film
would be coated with the nylon 11 and the other side would be protected
by the front part of the module. This provides for further cost savings.

 

 

4. THE NYLON 11/CELLULOSIC COMPOSITE BACKSHEET

 

4.1 Producing the composite

 

The most efficient way to produce the composite backsheet is to
extrusion coat the cellulosic film (referred to hereafter as the
substrate) with the polymer. Initial experiments to do this were carried
out at Randcastle Extrusion Systems, Inc., of Cedar Grove, NJ. They have
a small, unsophisticated extrusion system which they make available for
customer trials. After some experimentation, a set-up configuration
which did the job was developed, and several narrow rolls of the
composite film were produced. A schematic diagram of this set-up is
shown in Figure 5. The key to success was to have the substrate unwind
directly on to the drum and have the molten polymer impinge on to it. If
the polymer were cast on to the quench drum and the substrate were
nipped on to it, the polymer would prefer to stick to the drum rather
than the substrate. The polymer is embedded into the substrate with the
use of a cooled rubber pressure roll.

 

 

Figure 5. Schematic Diagram of Randcastle Extrusion Coating Set-up

 

Several rolls of the composite material were produced at Randcastle and
subsequently were used as backsheets for modules laminated at SBM Solar.
As with the plain Cottrell product, the adhesion to EVA was very good
and there were no wrinkling problems. These modules were of a simple
single cell construction, without framing and without junction boxes.
I-V curves were run on several of these modules, and they were put in
the aging oven for the 1000 hour damp heat test.

 

In addition, two modules were prepared which included framing and a
junction box. These modules were designated to undergo the Wet
Insulation-Resistance Test. The Wet Insulation-Resistance Test as
outlined in UL 1703 is more commonly referred to as the wet Hypot test.
This is a test of the resistance between the shorted out module output
terminals and a specific water solution. The resistance must be not less
than 40 megohms per square meter, or 400 megohms for the module,
whichever is greater, at 500 volts DC. A picture of these test modules
is shown in Figure 6.

 

 

 

Figure 6. Front and Rear View of Modules for Wet Hypot Test

 

4.2 Large scale manufacturing

 

Although the Randcastle extrusion coating run as shown in Figure 5
demonstrated the principle of composite production, an improved
equipment configuration was selected for large scale manufacture. This
configuration uses a horizontal die in combination with a three roll
casting system as shown in figure 7.

 

 

Figure 7. Large Scale Manufacturing Configuration

 

There are several advantages to this type of system over the Randcastle
vertical die system. Each roll in the stack is independently temperature
controlled for improved process control. The substrate has a longer
dwell on the #1 roll of the three roll stack for a more uniform
temperature profile. Rolls #1 and #2 are massive and have a relatively
large diameter. This means that a very high compression force can be
applied to help the polymer wick into the substrate with a minimum of
roll deflection over the wide roll width typical of polymer film
production equipment. In addition, the speed of roll #3 can be varied
independently of rolls 1 and 2 to improve sheet flatness.

 

 

Also, large scale extrusion coating systems are usually equipped with
surface treating equipment. Treating of the substrate increases its
surface energy which improves bond strength.

 

The substrate film can be embossed before coating, which significantly
increases the bonding area relative to the flat surface area. This also
significantly increases bond strength.

 

Rowland Technologies, Inc., of Wallingford, CT, has been selected as our
manufacturing partner for the BioBacksheet. Rowland is recognized as a
leader in the manufacture of high quality and consistent polymer films.
In addition to producing their own line of films, they also do contract
extrusion. They have a highly capable and experience technical staff and
state of the art extrusion lines.

 

As of this writing, material has been ordered for the first production
run which is scheduled to produce 150,000 ft 2 of the
BioBacksheet.

 

5. PRODUCT TESTING

 

5.1 Damp heat testing

 

The damp heat test is probably the most stringent test included in the
IEC series of PV module qualification tests, which, as mentioned earlier
is 1000 hours of exposure to 85 o C and 85% RH. Several small
modules were prepared for this test using backsheet material from the
Randcastle run. As of this writing, they have been in the damp heat oven
for about 250 hours, and were visually inspected. They looked very good.
There was no evidence of corrosion or adhesion failure.

 

5.2 Partial discharge test

 

This is a measure of backsheet dielectric strength run on the backsheet
itself, not on the entire module. Measurements were made on Randcastle
films at the PV lab at Arizona State University. The values averaged at
about 700 volts which exceeds the current requirement of 600 volts. It
is expected that the requirement will be increase to 1000 volts. This
can be met simply by increasing the thickness of the backsheet which we
intend to do at our first production run at Rowland Technologies.

 

5.3 Wet Hypot test

 

The Wet Insulation-Resistance Test, more commonly known as the wet Hypot
test, is a current leakage test performed on a module which has been
immersed in a water surfactant solution for two minutes. The resistance
is measured between the shorted out leads of the module and the solution
at 500 volts. The resistance must be greater than 400 megohms. This test
is particularly stringent for basksheet materials. The resistance of our
test module was 500 megohms.

 

5.4 Bond strength test

 

The adhesion between the backsheet and the EVA adhesive is a very
important issue in PV modules. ASTM Standard D-3807, =93Standard Test
Method for Strength Properties of Adhesives in Cleavage Peel by Tension
Loading=94, which is more commonly referred to as the peel test, is a good
measure of this property. Laminated samples for testing were prepared in
the following configuration: backsheet/EVA/backsheet, leaving enough
unbounded backsheet to be inserted into the jaws of an Instron tester. A
typical load curve is shown in Figure 8.

 

Although the maximum peel strength is less than stellar, this should not
be a problem because the failure mode is cohesive, rather than adhesive.
That is, the bond strength of the cellulosic film to the EVA is greater
than the inter layer strength of the cellulosic. Similar cellulosic
films have been used as dielectric material for almost 100 years and
have not experienced any delamination problems.

 

 

Figure 8. Peel Strength Curve

 

A picture of a peel test sample after Instron testing is shown in Figure
9. It is easily seen that there are layers of the cellulosic film bonded
to each side of the EVA.

 

 

Figure 9. Peel Sample

 

 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

 

It has been demonstrated that functional photovoltaic backsheets can be
produced from sustainable resources. Figure 10 illustrates a production
size module having a bio based backsheet. It was manufactured in January
and has been functional ever since. Its dimensions are 20=94 by 45=94 by
1.5=94 thick.

 

 

Figure 10. Production Size Module with BioBacksheet

 

Bio based products represent an interesting challenge. They must be made
from renewable resources, but not decompose over time. PLA, made from
corn, is the most publicized and most readily available material of the
new wave of biopolymers. It was determined that, even though this
material was produced from a sustainable resource, it had too much of a
tendency to decompose. This is fine for grocery bags, but not for PV
modules. In addition, the use of corn for polymers and fuel is driving
up the price of food. A great many food products include some form or
corn in their ingredients.

 

The two components of the BioBacksheet are a cellulosic made from cotton
and nylon 11 produced from castor beans. Ever since the invention of
polyester, there has been little pressure on the cotton crop. Nylon 11
is considered to be an engineering polymer, and its price would preclude
its use in basic throw away applications. Furthermore, it does not
biodegrade, which makes it quite suitable for PV applications.

 

 

It is believed that the BioBacksheet is a viable alternative to the
current group of incumbent backsheets. Not only is this product produced
from sustainable recourses, but is expected to be more cost effective
than the current backsheets. Although further testing needs to be
conducted before the commencement of mass production, there have been no
fundamental problems found with this product up to this point.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

The author wishes to acknowledge the following companies for their
assistance in the development of the bio backsheet: Arkema, Inc.,
Cottrell Paper, Inc.

 

In addition, the author would like to express his gratitude to Rowland
Technologies, of Wallingford, CT, for their agreeing to be BioSolar=92s
manufacturing partner.

 

The author wishes also to express his thanks to Dr. Charles E. Carraher
Jr., Professor Florida Atlantic University & Associate Director, for
providing valuable technical advice during the development process.

 

Finally, the author would like to thank Dr. Osbert Cheung of SBM Solar,
Inc., for his valuable assistance in preparing and testing of the PV
modules discussed in this paper.

Whether solar cells are
produced using crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or other solar
technologies, BioSolar can help reduce the cost per watt through the
use of its lower cost bio-based materials.

By removing petroleum from solar cells, BioSolar makes solar energy
a true green source of energy.

Protecting Solar Cells With Cotton and Castor Beans

 

Santa
Clarita, CA =96 August 18, 2008 =96
BioSolar, Inc. (OTC BB: BSRC) has been featured in several
high-profile media reports following its recent announcement that
materials derived from cotton and castor
beans compose the company=92s proprietary BioBacksheet, a protective
covering, traditionally made from expensive petroleum-based film,
used in the back of virtually all photovoltaic solar cells.

 

=93After two years of secrecy, BioSolar unveils a
bio-based protective sheet for solar cells that it hopes will give
chemical giant DuPont some competition,=94 reported

GreenTech Media only
minutes following the company=92s official announcement at the SPIE
Symposium on Solar Applications and Energy conference on Tuesday,
August 12, 2008 in San Diego, CA.  

 

=93BioSolar has
developed a plant-based plastic for making durable, less expensive
and more sustainable solar equipment,=94 reported

CNET
on August 12 in its =93Green Tech=94 section, dedicated to news of
innovation in energy and environmental technologies.

 

Hailed by

Scientific American on August 13 as =93cleaner than clean
energy,=94 BioSolar=92s BioBacksheet technology =93rids solar energy of
carbon,=94 according to coverage by wire service

United Press International on August 14.

 

In its article, =93Making
a Solar Cell Component without Using Fossil Fuels,=94 Scientific
American notes the current market conditions contributing to
BioSolar=92s growing allure, =93Already, such backsheets are rising in
price, thanks to the recent run-up in world oil costs, at a time
when the solar industry is trying to bring down costs to make their
technology more competitive with other forms of power generation.=94 

 

=93The real merit is that
we can actually reduce the cost of the backsheet compared to
conventional petroleum-based backsheet," added Dr. David Lee,
BioSolar=92s CEO in the same article. 

 

About BioSolar,
Inc. 

 

BioSolar, Inc. has
developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials
from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of
solar cells. Most of the solar industry is focused on photovoltaic
efficiency to reduce cost. BioSolar is the first company to
introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing
petroleum-based plastic solar cell components with durable bio-based
materials. To learn more about BioSolar, please visit our website at
http://www.biosolar.com.

 

Safe Harbor Statement

 

Matters
discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate,"
"believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar
expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual
results, performance or achievements could differ materially from
those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are
based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to
a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not
limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of
economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and
its operations, markets, product, and distributor performance, the
impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist
actions, and U.S. actions subsequently; and other factors detailed
in reports filed by the Company.