Ref: http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=20023.php
Posted: Feb 7th, 2011
Increased Efficiency for CIGS Solar Cells
(Nanowerk News) Scientists at INM — Leibniz Institute for New Materials developed a barrier layer that separates the metal carrier from the absorber film and thus increases the efficiency of metal-based CIGS solar cells. For the first time, the INM program division "Optical Materials" presents this development in the German Pavilion at the international trade fair "nano tech 2011" and also nationwide at the Hannover Messe 2011.
Corrosion and poor isolation between substrate and carrier material cause a lower efficiency for CIGS solar cells apart from other influences. Solar cells consist of copper (C), indium (I), gallium (G), and sulphur (S). Glass as carrier material and the low efficiency prevent the flexible application of these future solar cells in the automotive industry, for example.
The developed layer is glass-like. "It works as iron diffusion barrier and thus prevents corrosion and oxidation of the carrier", explains Peter William de Oliveira, head of the program division. "At the same time, the barrier works as insulating layer and reduces unintentional electrical currents from the absorber to the carrier", says Oliveira. Both functions increase the efficiency of metal-based CIGS solar cells by up to 13 percent.
The glass-like diffusion barrier is applied on the metal carrier by means of the sol-gel process. It is transparent and flexible and has a thickness of only a few micrometers. The INM scientists developed both the layer and up-scaled process. By means of dip coating and slot coating they produced foils in a DIN A3 size. The traditional roll-to-roll printing process allows the production of continuous layered foils up to a length of 50 meters and a width of about half a meter.
These and other applications are exhibited by INM at the international trade fair "nano tech 2011". Included are coatings with special properties, as for example transparent conductivity, antiadhesive, scratch-proof, antireflective or self-cleaning function, or layers for friction reduction or corrosion protection. Multifunctional coatings, which combine several of these properties, also belong to the INM research portfolio. The INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials presents itself in the German Pavilion (Booth E-18-24) at the nano tech 2011 in Tokyo from 16th to 18th February 2011.
At the Hannover Messe, too, INM will present its skills and competencies at the Booth A-50 in Hall 2 – the Leading Trade Fair for Research and Technology and the International Leading Trade Fair for Research, Development and Technology Transfer.
The INM — Leibniz Institute for New Materials, situated in Saarbrücken (Germany), engages in fundamental and applied materials research – from molecules to pilot production. In interdisciplinary cooperation, the work of INM includes the fields of chemical nanotechnology, interface materials and materials in biology. Its focal research fields are chemical synthesis, physical analysis of surfaces, coatings and interfacial materials.
Background:
A recently published study of Lux Research Inc. confirms that the cost of goods sold for CIGS solar cells will rapidly decrease over the coming years. According to this study, an increased efficiency, among other things, will contribute to a gross margin of over 30 percent.
Contact:
Diffusion barrier, conductive transparent coatings, multifunctional coatings:
Dr. Peter W. de Oliveira
INM — Leibniz Institute for New Materials
Phone +49 681 9300 148
Email: peter.oliveira@inm-gmbh.de
Anti-adhesive coatings, scratch-proof coatings, coatings for friction reduction, multifunctional coatings:
Dr. Carsten Becker-Willinger
INM — Leibniz Institute for New Materials
Phone +49 681 9300 196
Email: nanomere@inm-gmbh.de
Source: INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials
# # #
Showing posts with label Green Materials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Materials. Show all posts
Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday, September 27, 2010
GreenBiz.com - A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials
Content extracted from GreenBiz.com:
https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=245220&sessionid=1&key=F08533090C40503C83A210E84A5E635A&sourcepage=register&utm_source=GreenBuzz&utm_campaign=93241c3dce-GreenBuzz-2010-09-27&utm_medium=email
A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials
October 5, 2010, 8:30 AM PDT / 11:30 AM EDT
Plastics in the waste stream have long been a concern, and companies have been finding new ways to address this challenge. After all, why must a polymer that has the potential to last thousands of years in the environment be used in single-use packaging applications? Many companies are now turning to biopolymers instead of traditional petrochemical-based plastics to address waste management challenges and create localized energy.
Biobased plastics can degrade in two ways: in oxygen-laden environments, and in environments that lack oxygen. Certain biopolymers have been shown to have characteristics that allow them to degrade in an industrial composting setting.
This free, one-hour webcast will shine a light on how global biotechnology and chemical firms are driving innovation to help find a solution to plastics in the waste stream. Join us as we explore recent trends in the plastics industry, including:
* Use and inclusion of biopolymers
* Innovative technologies linking plastics to energy generation
* End-of-life considerations from the design phase
* Standards development
You will learn:
* the benefits of using biopolymers over traditional plastics
* the differences among commonly-used biopolymers and their end-of-life solutions
* challenges faced by the plastic manufacturing, waste management and packaging industries
* how degradation of biopolymers can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels
Join Joel Makower, Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com, in conversation with Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc., a leading bioplastics company; Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR; and William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment.
Panelists include:
Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc.
Dr. Robert S. Whitehouse has been involved with the plastics industry for over 40 years with a number of organizations. He obtained his PhD in Polymer Chemistry – Heterogeneity in Adhesive Films at Wolverhampton University and has authored many publications, book chapters and over 50 patents in the polymer, surface chemistry and recycling fields. In 1999 Bob became involved with Metabolix Inc in the development of polyhydroxyalkanoate polymers for a range of applications. At this time he became involved in understanding the role of microbial organisms in controlling the biodegradation of plastics materials as an end of life scenario. He has taken an active role in ASTM D20-96 committee in the development of new biodegradable test specifications include ASTM D6400 and D7081 and more recently in new applications such as ambient soil degradation, Home Composting and anaerobic degradation.
Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR
Kelly became interested in the biodegradable industry after working as a consultant for a landfill corporation and realizing the potential value of the industry. She attended UW-Eau Claire and Mankato State University to obtain a B.S. in Finance. Kelly has 21 years of sales, marketing and management experience with 14 years of that holding management and executive positions. Throughout her career she spent 7 years in retail management where she received hands on experience with inventory control, distribution channel management, purchasing, sales management, market research and public relations. She has been a part of FKuR’s family of companies since 2007 first as the agent for North America and now as a consultant for FKuR Plastics Corporation in the United States.
William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment
Bill is currently working on the development of standards and guidance for standards within UL Environment including the green chemistry and sustainable chemistry aspects of product environmental performance, validation of claims and product certification. The goal of this work is to provide a strong technical basis to product environmental performance by using a deep scientific analysis of the environmental impact of a product while also assuring companies producing the product are using environmentally progressive manufacturing methods.
Moderator:
Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com
Joel is Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com and author of "Strategies for the Green Economy," among other books. For more than 20 years, he has been a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. The Associated Press has called Joel "the guru of green business practices."
Sponsored By:
UL Environment
# # #
https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=245220&sessionid=1&key=F08533090C40503C83A210E84A5E635A&sourcepage=register&utm_source=GreenBuzz&utm_campaign=93241c3dce-GreenBuzz-2010-09-27&utm_medium=email
A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials
October 5, 2010, 8:30 AM PDT / 11:30 AM EDT
Plastics in the waste stream have long been a concern, and companies have been finding new ways to address this challenge. After all, why must a polymer that has the potential to last thousands of years in the environment be used in single-use packaging applications? Many companies are now turning to biopolymers instead of traditional petrochemical-based plastics to address waste management challenges and create localized energy.
Biobased plastics can degrade in two ways: in oxygen-laden environments, and in environments that lack oxygen. Certain biopolymers have been shown to have characteristics that allow them to degrade in an industrial composting setting.
This free, one-hour webcast will shine a light on how global biotechnology and chemical firms are driving innovation to help find a solution to plastics in the waste stream. Join us as we explore recent trends in the plastics industry, including:
* Use and inclusion of biopolymers
* Innovative technologies linking plastics to energy generation
* End-of-life considerations from the design phase
* Standards development
You will learn:
* the benefits of using biopolymers over traditional plastics
* the differences among commonly-used biopolymers and their end-of-life solutions
* challenges faced by the plastic manufacturing, waste management and packaging industries
* how degradation of biopolymers can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels
Join Joel Makower, Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com, in conversation with Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc., a leading bioplastics company; Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR; and William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment.
Panelists include:
Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc.
Dr. Robert S. Whitehouse has been involved with the plastics industry for over 40 years with a number of organizations. He obtained his PhD in Polymer Chemistry – Heterogeneity in Adhesive Films at Wolverhampton University and has authored many publications, book chapters and over 50 patents in the polymer, surface chemistry and recycling fields. In 1999 Bob became involved with Metabolix Inc in the development of polyhydroxyalkanoate polymers for a range of applications. At this time he became involved in understanding the role of microbial organisms in controlling the biodegradation of plastics materials as an end of life scenario. He has taken an active role in ASTM D20-96 committee in the development of new biodegradable test specifications include ASTM D6400 and D7081 and more recently in new applications such as ambient soil degradation, Home Composting and anaerobic degradation.
Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR
Kelly became interested in the biodegradable industry after working as a consultant for a landfill corporation and realizing the potential value of the industry. She attended UW-Eau Claire and Mankato State University to obtain a B.S. in Finance. Kelly has 21 years of sales, marketing and management experience with 14 years of that holding management and executive positions. Throughout her career she spent 7 years in retail management where she received hands on experience with inventory control, distribution channel management, purchasing, sales management, market research and public relations. She has been a part of FKuR’s family of companies since 2007 first as the agent for North America and now as a consultant for FKuR Plastics Corporation in the United States.
William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment
Bill is currently working on the development of standards and guidance for standards within UL Environment including the green chemistry and sustainable chemistry aspects of product environmental performance, validation of claims and product certification. The goal of this work is to provide a strong technical basis to product environmental performance by using a deep scientific analysis of the environmental impact of a product while also assuring companies producing the product are using environmentally progressive manufacturing methods.
Moderator:
Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com
Joel is Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com and author of "Strategies for the Green Economy," among other books. For more than 20 years, he has been a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. The Associated Press has called Joel "the guru of green business practices."
Sponsored By:
UL Environment
# # #
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Note to Self
Parabienta Green Wall
http://www.asla.org/2009awards/043.html
http://www.azuremagazine.com/magazine/backissues/features.php?id=1774&c=2
http://ellerg.blogspot.com/2009/05/greenest-wall-of-them-all-10-cool-green.html
Parabienta green wall. Developed by the Japanese companies Shimizu Corporation and Minoru Industrial Company, it employs a sheet of polyester-blended soil, heated with steam, moulded together, and mounted in a modular steel frame. Complete with an irrigation system that senses changes in temperature and the soil’s moisture content, it adjusts water and nutrient flow accordingly.
http://www.asla.org/2009awards/043.html
http://www.azuremagazine.com/magazine/backissues/features.php?id=1774&c=2
http://ellerg.blogspot.com/2009/05/greenest-wall-of-them-all-10-cool-green.html
Parabienta green wall. Developed by the Japanese companies Shimizu Corporation and Minoru Industrial Company, it employs a sheet of polyester-blended soil, heated with steam, moulded together, and mounted in a modular steel frame. Complete with an irrigation system that senses changes in temperature and the soil’s moisture content, it adjusts water and nutrient flow accordingly.
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