The use of femtosecond lasers to welds glass-glass in the construction of painéis solares can facilitate the recycling of these products at the end of their useful life. That was the research conclusion proof of concept Towards Polymer Free Femtosecond Laser Welded Glass/ Glass Solar Modules, made by DOE's NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) (US Department of Energy).
“Most recycling companies claim that the polymer is principal problem to the freight recycling of photovoltaic modules,” said study lead author David Young, senior scientist and group manager High-Efficiency Crystalline Photovoltaics in the Chemistry and Nanoscience department at NREL.
Typically, the photovoltaic moduless are constituted de semiconductors which are placed between two glass sheets laminated together with polymer sheets.
A the soldier glass-glass would eliminate the need to have folhas plastic polymer na composition of modules, making the easier recycling and ensuring that at the end of their useful life the materials can be broken down, where the glass and metal wires can be recycled and the silicon can be reused.
Research
This is first search to use femtosecond laser na formation de welds of glass-glass to be used for seal panels solar.
A research showed even though the solder is as strong as glass, that is, as long as the glass doesn't break, the solder won't break. However, the study highlights that not having polymers between the glass sheets requires the welded modules to be much more rigid.
Other point of Featured of the study is that the montagem appropriate and the modification in the characteristics of rlaminated glass elevation can make the modulethe soldier hard enough to pass the test of static charge.
O article still describe that other types of the soldier have been tested in the past, but have proven less resistant to be used in modules.
In addition to these advantages, the research says that the soldier be used by any type of technology for photovoltaic modules, such as silicon, perovskite, cadmium telluride. This is because the heat from the weld is confined to a few millimeters from the laser focus.
Besides David Young, the study includes the participation of other NREL professionals, Tim Silverman, Nicholas Irvin e Nick Bosco. The article also has the participation of two co-authors plans Trumpf, company that manufactured the femtosecond laser.
Young said the research is de high risk quality high reward, and informs that there will be other research to target de extend service life of solar modules for more than 50 years and allow a easier recycling.
The research was developed through the Durable Module Materials Consortium, led by NREL and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Solar Energy Technologies in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
O NREL is main laboratory U.S. Department of Energy national research and development renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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