A new paper published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials shows the SimPrep autodilution system by Teledyne CETAC being used as a tool in researching new solar energy technologies. A team of researchers from Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands sought to understand the lifecycle of lead-based materials used in novel solar cells.
Most solar panels are currently silicon-based, but successes with newer perovskite solar cells have driven interest in this material, which has the potential to overcome silicon’s limitations in efficiency and cost. Key to bringing perovskite solar cells (PSC) to market is a thorough understanding of their environmental impact beyond taking the place of other energy sources.PSCs rely on lead salts to stabilize the absorber material. Because lead poses an environmental risk, researchers sought to analyze the probable lifecycle of PSC from fabrication to disposal, including what might happen if such cells were damaged during use. The researchers compared lead concentrations in soil and water samples measured over time, so it was very important to ensure consistency in the preparations.
The SimPrep was used to dilute the samples with semiconductor grade nitric acid. The use of automation for this task helps remove the potential for human errors and improves outcomes for more accurate and reproducible data. Through their experiments, researchers were able to assess the environmental implications of lead from PSCs as comparable to previous risk assessments for environmental lead.
The full paper can be found in the August 15, 2022 volume of the Journal of Hazardous Materials.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128995
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