Advances in CIGS thin film solar cells with emphasis on the alkali element post-deposition treatment

In the past tens of years,the power conversion efficiency of Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS)has continuously improved and been one of the fastest growing photovoltaic technologies that can also help us achieve the goal of carbon emissions reduction.Among several key advances,the alkali element post-deposition treatment(AlK PDT)is regarded as the most important finding in the last 10 years,which has led to the improvement of CIGS solar cell efficiency from 20.4%to 23.35%.A profound understanding of the influence of alkali element on the chemical and electrical properties of the CIGS absorber along with the underlying mechanisms is of great importance.In this review,we summarize the strategies of the alkali element doping in CIGS solar cell,the problems to be noted in the PDT process,the effects on the CdS buffer layer,the effects of different alkali elements on the structure and morphology of the CIGS absorber layer,and retrospect the progress in the CIGS solar cell with emphasis on the alkali element post deposition treatment.

Alkali and Plasma-Treated Guadua angustifolia Bamboo Fibers:A Study on Reinforcement Potential for Polymeric Matrices

This study focuses on treating Guadua angustifolia bamboo fibers to enhance their properties for reinforcement applications in composite materials.Chemical(alkali)and physical(dry etching plasma)treatments were used separately to augment compatibility of Guadua angustifolia fibers with various composite matrices.The influence of these treatments on the fibers’performance,chemical composition,and surface morphology were analyzed.Statistical analysis indicated that alkali treatments reduced the tensile modulus of elasticity and strength of fibers by up to 40%and 20%,respectively,whereas plasma treatments maintain the fibers’mechanical performance.FTIR spectroscopy revealed significant alterations in chemical composition due to alkali treatments,while plasma-treated fibers showed minimal changes.Surface examination through Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)revealed post-treatment modifications in both cases;alkali treatments served as a cleanser,eliminating lignin and hemicellulose from the fiber surface,whereas plasma treatments also produce rough surfaces.These results validate the impact of the treatments on the fiber mechanical performance,which opens up possibilities for using Guadua angustifolia fibers as an alternative reinforcement in composite manufacturing.

Effect of alkali treatments on apatite formation of microarc-oxidized coating on titanium alloy surface

Alkali treatments with three concentrations were used to modify a microarc-oxidized(MAO) coating on titanium alloy surface in order to further improve its surface bioactivity. Morphology, chemical compositions and phase constitues, roughness, contact angle and apatite induction of the alkali-treated coatings were studied and compared. Scanning electron microscope(SEM) was applied to observe the morphologies, X-ray diffraction(XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) were used to detect the phase constitutes and chemical compositions, a surface topography profilometer was used to analyze the surface roughness, and contact angle was measured by liquid drop method. Alkali treatements result in the formation of Na2Ti6O13 and Na2Ti3O7 phase on the MAO coating, which leads to the increase of surface roughness and the decrease of contact angle. Experimental results showed that the apatite induction of the alkali-treated coatings was dependent on the applied alkali concentrations during treatments, and Na+concentration can promote the formation of apatite phase.

Effects of alkali and heat treatment on strength of porous Ti35Nb

Porous Ti35Nb alloy with a porosity of 66% was made by a powder metallurgical method, and then it was treated by a standard treatment for activating the surface of Ti implant materials involving alkali and heat treatment. The alkali and heat treatment causes damages of the struts of the porous Ti35Nb in the form of reaction products layer, grain-pullout and cracks. Consequently, it leads to a significant degradation of the strength of the porous alloy. The effect of the alkali and heat treatment on the strength of the porous alloy was discussed.

Creating mesopores in ZSM-48 zeolite by alkali treatment: Enhanced catalyst for hydroisomerization of hexadecane

ZSM-48 zeolites with various Si/Al ratios were hydrothermally synthesized in the H;N（CH;）;NH;（HDA）-containing media. The obtained samples were highly crystallized with minor mixed phases as evidenced by X-ray powder diffraction（XRD）. The alkaline treated ZSM-48 zeolites maintained its structure under different concentrations of Na OH aqueous solution. Micropores remained unchanged while mesopores with wide pore size distribution formed after the alkaline treatment. The surface area increased from 228 to 288 m;/g. The Br?nsted acid sites had little alteration while an obvious increase of Lewis acid sites was observed. The hydroisomerization of hexadecane was performed as the model reaction to test the effects of the alkali treatment. The conversion of hexadecane had almost no change, which was attributed to the preservation of the Br?nsted acid sites. While high selectivity to iso-hexadecane with an improved iso to normal ratio of alkanes was due to the mesopore formation and improved diffusivity.

Comparison of Alkaline Treatment of Lead Contaminated Wastewater Using Lime and Sodium Hydroxide

A lead-acid storage battery manufacturing industry in India produces several thousand liters of lead con-taminated acidic wastewater on a daily basis and uses hydrated lime to render the lead-contaminated acidic wastewater alkaline (pH = 8.0). Alkaline treatment of the acidic wastewater with lime though a cost-effective method, generates copious amount of lead-contaminated gypsum sludge. Other alkali agents such as sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and dolomite are also used for alkali treatment of the acid wastewaters. The present paper compares the relative efficiency of hydrated lime and 0.05 M to 1 M NaOH solutions with re-spect to 1) amounts of sludge produced, 2) immobilization of the soluble lead in the acidic wastewater (AWW) and 3) increase in TDS (total dissolved solids) levels upon treatment of AWW with NaOH solutions and lime. The study also performs equilibrium speciation upon alkaline treatment of AWW with lime and NaOH (sodium hydroxide) solutions using the Visual MINTEQ program to understand the chemical reac-tions occurring during treatment process.

Studies on Recovery Efficiencies of Phenols from Phenol Fraction Using Alkali Treatment

Experiments were conducted for the extraction of phenols from the phenol fraction obtained from the coal tar distillate. The phenol fraction for the present investigation has been procured from Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Visakhapatnam whose composition is known. The phenol fraction from coal tar distillate can be treated for extracting phenols using caustic soda. An attempt has been made to find out whether the existing practice of using only 8%-15% can be modified by increasing the strength of sodium hydroxide and also explore the possibilities of substituting the sodium hydroxide with KOH as an extractant. The different streams of liquids obtained during experimentation have been analyzed by gas chromatograph. Salient features of the study are that higher concentrations of the alkali significantly improved the separation efficiencies of phenols and also regenerate the phenolate with higher phenol content. Increase in the alkali strength has greatly improved the separation as well as the phenol content in the regenerated phenols. Disposal of effluents containing phenols may lead to environmental problem of ground water pollution and the study throws a light on the removal of phenols from the effluents to the extent possible by using higher strength alkali solutions.

Effect of Alkali Treatment on the Structure and Catalytic Properties of ZSM-5 Zeolite

Catalytic properties of ZSM-5 zeolite samples pretreated with NaOH solution have been investigated. The samples are characterized by XRD, SEM, chemical analysis, and N2 adsorption. The results indicate that mesopores are created in ZSM-5 crystals under alkali treatment without change the microporous structure and acidic strength of the zeolite, but the crystallinity is greatly decreased under severe treatment. IR indicates that the concentration of silanol is greatly enriched by alkali treatment. The etherification activities of ZSM-5 zeolites are greatly increased by alkali-treatment. The noticeably improved catalytic activity of treated samples is ascribed to the formation of mesopores and greatly enriched silanol group.

PREPARATION OF HOLLOW LATEX PARTICLES BY ALKALI-ACID TREATMENT

Hollow polymer latex particles were prepared by seeded emulsion polymerization. A seed latex consisting of styrene (St), butyl acrylate(BA) copolymer was first prepared, and seeded terpolymerization of St BA MA(methacrylic acid) were then carried out in the absence of surfactant. Final latex was treated by a two step treatment under alkaline and acidic conditions, thus, the particles with hollow structure were obtained. We discussed the effects of pH value, temperature and time in alkali and acid treatment processes on hollow structure within the polymer latex particles and amount of carboxylic group on particle surface. The results show that the hollow polymer latex particles with the largest hollow size can be obtained under a certain condition (pH12.5, 90°C, 3 h in alkali treatment stage and pH2.5, 85°C, 3 h in acid treatment stage).

Effect of Alkali Treatment on Heavy Metals Adsorption Capacity of Sewage Sludge

Sewage sludge is the promising raw material for biosorbent preparation. In this work, we evaluated the heavy metals adsorption characteristics of alkali treated sewage sludge (ATSS) by equilibrium studies. The adsorption isotherms were fitted with Langmuir and Freundlich models. Comparing with untreated sewage sludge, the total adsorption capacity (qm) of ATSS (prepared with 0.125 mol/L NaOH) for Cd, Pb, Ni, increased by 0.51, 0.70 and 0.32 mmol/g, respectively. When the NaOH concentration for ATSS preparation increased from 0.125 mol/L to 0.25 mol/L, the qm of ATSS for Pb decreased from 1.05 mmol/g to 0.84 mmol/g. However, when the NaOH concentration increased from 0.25 mol/L to 7.5 mol/L, it showed increasing trend. According to the IR spectra data, the adsorption effect of biosorbent for heavy metals was mainly due to the complexation of -N-H groups and -COOH groups.

Alkali Treatment of Commercial Silicoaluminophosphate Molecular Sieves (SAPO_-34) Enhances the Water Adsorption and Desorption Properties

Commercial silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves (SAPO-34) received alkali treatment with either NaOH (0.2, 0.01, 0.005, or 0.001 M) or NH4OH (0.005 M). Treatment with NaOH (0.005 M) increased the water adsorption initial rate of SAPO-34 by 1.4-fold. The alkali treatment introduced Na+ adsorption sites into the SAPO-34. The desorption ratio (adsorption at 30°C and desorption at 100°C) was 88.2% higher than the original rate (84.3%). On the other hand, after alkali treatment of SAPO-34 using NH4OH (0.005 M), calcination resulted in the highest desorption ratio at 91.3%. When combined with calcination, alkali treatment with NH4OH introduced H+adsorption sites into SAPO-34, H+ adsorption sites feature low levels of interaction with water, which enhanced the desorption ratio, but decreased the initial adsorption rate. These results indicate that treating commercial SAPO-34 with 0.005 M NaOH enhances both the adsorption and desorption behaviors.

Alkali Treatment and Cellulose Nanowhiskers Extracted from Maize Stalk Residues

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of effect of pulveriser and extraction of cellulosenanowhiskers (CNWs) on Maize stalks. Maize stalk residues were first subjected to a cutting mill for size reduction purified using mechanical, chemical extraction and bleaching. After chemical extraction, high quality cellulose resulted and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW) were then extracted using chemical acid hydrolysis. The chemical compositions and mechanical properties of the maize stalk residues were examined before and after purification by using standard methods, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology and dimensions of the isolated cellulose nanowhiskers were characterized using atomic force microscope (AFM). The crystallinity index increased upon mechanical and chemical extraction. Thermal stability of cellulose derived from maize stalk improved with chemical treatment due to new functional groups introduced on the surface and enhancement in crystallinity. Highly dispersed cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) were successfully extracted from maize stalk residues with diameters ranging between 3 and 7 nm, length ranges between 150 - 450 nm, respectively.

Alkali Treatment to Maximize Adhesion of Polypyrrole Coatings for Electro-Conductive Textile Materials

In this paper polyester fabrics were pretreated with alkaline solution to improve the ability for the fabric surface to bond with polypyrrole(PPy)coating layer.In situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole monomer was performed on alkali treated polyester fabrics.Then the fabrics were characterized by FTIR and XRD analysis.The tensile properties of the yarns in both warp and weft directions were measured after alkali treatment and PPy coating processes.The abrasion resistance test was performed on PPy coated fabrics with and without alkali treatment.The surface electrical resistivity of PPy coated fabrics were searched.The electromagnetic shielding effectiveness(EMSE)properties of fabrics in terms of reflection,absorption and transmission behaviors were also investigated.A significant EMSE value increase(about 27%)was obtained with alkali treatment.

Corn Husk Fiber Preparation and Morphology with Alkali Treatment

The corn husks were usually discarded as useless materials,after alkali treatment from which the corn husk fiber was obtained. The corn husk fiber included half degumming corn husk bundle fiber and corn husk single fiber. This study found that corn husk single fiber was a kind of cellulose fiber,and was obtained with the fully alkali treatment technique,the process of which was NaOH concentration 0.15 g/mL,temperature at 80℃,and reaction time about 2.5 h. The morphologies of corn husk single fibers presented nature convolutions along with the fiber axis. They were closed at both ends,and they had a pentagram cavity and oval-shaped crosssection. They were flat shape,the fineness of the fibers was close to cotton fiber,and the mechanical properties of the fibers were similar to hemp fiber. So the corn husk fibers could be predicted that they could be used in textile industry because their properties were very close to cotton fiber or flax fiber.

碱溶性聚酯/碳酸钙/聚酯(COPET/CaCO_(3)/PET)多孔纤维制备及性能研究

采用自制的碱溶性聚酯/碳酸钙(COPET/CaCO_(3))母粒与聚酯(PET)母粒,经熔融纺丝实现对传统PET纤维的改性,结合单因子控制变量法优选碱酸处理制备COPET/CaCO_(3)/PET多孔纤维的最佳工艺参数,并对纤维性能进行测试与表征。结果表明,当NaOH质量分数为4%、HCL质量分数为3%时,纤维具有较好的表观形态和孔隙结构。在最优处理条件下,纤维内部含有较多分布均匀的孔隙,孔径主要集中分布在15~54nm。此时,纤维的断裂强度、线密度、比表面积和熔融温度分别为1.29cN/dtex、4.84dtex、5.5273m^(2)/g和253.85℃。

不同木纤维对水泥基胶凝材料水化进程的影响研究

木纤维的加入可改善水泥基胶凝材料的抗拉强度,但只采用机械破碎及沸煮处理的木纤维对水泥基胶凝材料有缓凝、阻凝作用,阻碍了木纤维在水泥制品中的应用,为提升木质家具企业的木纤维利用率,从机械破碎的松木、杂木纤维的长径比着手,研究经碱法预处理的木纤维对水泥基胶凝材料水化进程的影响。结果表明:未预处理的杂木纤维只影响水泥早期水化热释放速率,对水泥水化热释放总量影响较小,未预处理的松木纤维具有明显的阻凝作用;采用Ca(OH)_(2)溶液浸泡可以有效降低木纤维对水泥水化的缓凝作用,与其他碱液浸泡相比,采用Ca(OH)_(2)浸泡可避免水泥胶凝体系引入其他物质。

酶法破壁提取蜂花粉功能成分的工艺优化及抗氧化活性分析

目的探索酶解结合超声和碱解从而高效破壁和提取蜂花粉中的活性成分。方法采用扫描电镜对蜂花粉微观结构进行分析,并使用高效液相色谱法分析酚类物质的组成和含量变化。结果经12.5%碱性蛋白酶酶解1 h后,蜂花粉酶解上清液的总酚含量、总黄酮含量和2,2’-联氮-二(3-乙基-苯并噻唑啉-6-磺酸)二铵盐[2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)ammonium salt,ABTS]阳离子自由基清除能力最高,分别为(14.14±0.23)mg GAE/(g·dw),(2.34±0.04)mg RE/(g·dw)和(167.06±1.39)μmol TE/(g·dw)。将酶解辅以超声协同0.3 mol/L NaOH处理后,总酚、总黄酮、ABTS阳离子自由基清除能力及铁离子还原能力相比未处理花粉分别提高了191%、39%、69%和162%。扫描电镜结果显示,碱处理酶解后花粉细胞壁破碎程度显著增加,花粉内含物质从裂口处向外溢出,与理化指标趋势一致。最佳工艺条件为0.3mol/LNaOH超声-碱处理1h,调节pH至7,12.5%的碱性蛋白酶于50℃下酶解1 h。结论超声碱处理可辅助酶解实现蜂花粉的高效破壁,同时小肽、多酚、黄酮等营养成分也进一步溶出,促进了蜂花粉的高值化利用。

基于响应面法的菌草重组材制备工艺优化

菌草资源是目前世界上最丰富的农业资源之一,具有广阔的发展前景。以菌草绿洲一号为原料,制备菌草重组材,采用响应面Box-Behnken试验设计方法研究不同浸胶时间、热压时间、热压温度对菌草重组材主要物理力学性能的影响。在响应面试验结果基础上增加碱处理和帚化处理,探究改性对菌草表面结构及物理力学性能的影响。结果表明,菌草重组材的较佳制备工艺参数为浸胶时间33 min,热压时间1.12 min/mm,热压温度155℃。帚化制备的菌草重组材浸胶时间降低至15 min,其静曲强度(MOR)136.56 MPa和弹性模量(MOE)14.80 GPa比未帚化制备的菌草重组材分别提高154%和14%;吸水厚度膨胀率(TSR)5.84%和吸水宽度膨胀率(WSR)0.93%分别比未帚化制备的菌草重组材降低7和1.82个百分点,均达到GB/T 40247—2021《重组竹》的要求。碱处理试验结果显示,在NaOH质量分数为2%时MOR和MOE最佳,分别143.13 MPa和15.05 GPa;在NaOH质量分数1%时TSR和WSR最低,分别为1.85%和0.30%。通过扫描电镜分析可知,碱处理后菌草表面蜡质层出现降解,粗糙度增加;帚化处理产生的裂隙有利于酚醛树脂胶黏剂渗透到菌草内部,有利于菌草重组材的胶合,提高了力学性能和耐水性。本研究制备的菌草重组材为菌草新材料的开发提供新途径,对加快推进菌草重组材产业发展具有重要意义。

一株耐碱好氧反硝化菌的分离鉴定及其脱氮性能

为改善强碱环境下微生物脱氮效率低下的问题,从上海市稻田土壤中分离出一株具有强碱适应能力的好氧反硝化菌。经细胞形态学观察及16S rDNA分析,鉴定其为琼氏不动杆菌(Acinetobacter junii),并命名为琼氏不动杆菌5-2。结合单因素影响试验考察该菌株在不同环境条件下的脱氮效果,发现其在一定pH值(7.0~12.0)及盐质量浓度范围(10~30 g/L)内,均能保持较高的硝氮去除率(>90%)。在以乙酸钠为碳源、硝酸钾为氮源、碳氮质量比(m(C)/m(N))值为12、温度为35℃、转速为90 r/min、初始pH值为10.0、初始硝氮质量浓度为41.07 mg/L的条件下培养120 h后,该菌株对硝氮及总氮的去除率分别为97.83%及65.85%,同时,对该菌株好氧反硝化相关酶活性及基因进行检测。研究结果表明,琼氏不动杆菌5-2具有高效好氧反硝化能力,有望应用于处理实际含氮废水。

Reaction behaviour of Al_2O_3 and SiO_2 in high alumina coal fly ash during alkali hydrothermal process

The reaction behaviours of A1203 and SiO2 in high alumina coal fly ash under various alkali hydrothermal conditions were studied. The means of XRD, XRF, FTIR and SEM were used to measure the mineral phase and morphology of the solid samples obtained by different alkali hydrothermal treatments as well as the leaching ratio of SiO2 to A1203 in alkali solution. The results showed that with the increase of the hydrothermal treating temperature from 75 to 160 ~C, phillipsite-Na, zeolite A, zeolite P, and hydroxysodalite were produced sequentially while the mullite and corundum phase still remained. Zeolite P was massively formed at low-alkali concentration and the hydroxysodalite was predominantly obtained at high-alkali concentration. By the dissolution of aluminosilicate glass and the formation of zeolites together, the leaching efficiency of SiO2 can reach 42.13% with the mass ratio of A1203/SIO2 up to 2.19：1.