Chemical engineering evolved in the twentieth century
with rise in the use of fossil resources and the myriad of products derived
from them. Those products required great innovations and had a huge impact on
the human race. Solar panels are made using chemistry. There are huge
opportunities in eliminating toxic chemicals and fugitive emission from the
manufacturing process, while reducing costs.
Going forward as we transition from fossil resources
to renewable resources such as solar energy, we again have unprecedented
opportunities for innovation that would not only make great impact but redefine
chemical engineering.
In this regard, researchers at Purdue University are
developing an alternative solution to photovoltaic technologies by
manufacturing low-cost solar cells using special ink printed on a supporting
material. Purdue researcher Rakesh Agrawal is working to develop solar cells
that might be manufactured using special ink printed onto sheets of a
supporting material. The approach could lead to new low-cost solar cells
economically competitive with other energy technologies.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the
team of chemical engineers led by Rakesh Agrawal, Purdue University’s Winthrop
E. Stone Distinguished Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering, will
strive to develop solar cells that could be mass produced at a low cost with
limited availability of materials.
The technology will involve developing an “ink” using
tiny nanocrystals made of copper zinc tin sulfide, or CZTS. Since CZTS is
abundantly available, printing of photovoltaic cells using the ink, is very
inexpensive to manufacture.
If the technology has to match the competition with
other energy technologies, then solar cells must be able to produce terawatts
of electricity at 50 cents per peak watt.
The process of developing the solar cells include
creating the nanocrystals, formulating the ink and printing it on a flexible
supporting material. Once the ink is applied, the solar cells are heated to a
temperature of 500°C to fuse the nanoparticles together.
Unlike other technologies, the ink promises longer
durability and economic advantages. DOE’s SunShot Initiative is funding the
work with a grant of $750,000.
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