Silicon: An element so common, it's sands alone!:laugh3: While others search the periodic chart for exotic elements, too rare to be put to mass use, silicon can supply all of our needs for solar, and we'd hardly make a dent in the supply...;)

And on the other end of things, those who oogle for gold, there's maybe a future in a safe source for the shiny brassy element, from the hydrothermal benthos beneath the oceans..USGS Fact Sheet: The Escanaba Trough of Gorda Ridge: A Laboratory for Mineral-forming Processes

 

Better to get what we like and return the arsenates to a place where nature knows how to deal with them already, methinks this is a good idea..

Silica is the raw material; no shortages! The energy payback point, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, for single-crystal solar cells is 5-10 years; polycrystalline is 3-5 years, and amorphous is 1/2 to 2 years. There's a large margin of error, but these rough figures indicate that switching to silicon is a pretty good idea!

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.=.

 

Silicon, my favorite element! But silicon does have some challengers - organic polymers may one day topple silicon's preeminence as the material of choice for solar photovoltaics; but R&D takes time, so when that will be, only time knows the answer.

I use Liquid Silicon when I make greeting cards... pretty useful it really is, pretty useful!:wacko:

I use Liquid Silicon when I make greeting cards... pretty useful it really is, pretty useful!:wacko:

Liquid silicon, Carla? Hmm..!:inquisitive: What is that? Do you mean watchglass solution?? (sodium silicate). Or maybe silicone? The silicones are a group of related chemicals, with the Si-O-Si-O bonding structure in chains, similar to hydrocrabons.. they're made into various caulking formulations, lubricants, sealants, rubber gaskets, etc.. How do you use it? Is it a cement??

Watchglass, or sodium silicate solution, is useful for things such as sealing eggs for long-term storage, or for special cements to bond glass or ceramics. Also, it is useful in preserving lumber, as an alternative and non-toxic method to prevent wood decay and I think it's good at preventing surface oxidation/ photodegradation. But for greeting cards - oh, do you mean glass beads? Silicate dessicants??:confused:

^I think she means the liquid transparent glue

^Yeah I meant this

 

 

 

and I also use this

Very Interesting, Carla!:smart: I was unaware of a silica or silicone glue product!

I'll have to check it out, and see what it's made of - nifty stuff, and probably great bonding, no doubt! Thanks!!;)

And like I said it is pretty useful :)

Glue can be a very sticky subject, but thanks for providing that information!;)

And here's some more places to check out on Silicon, the amazing metalloid:

 

Solar Silicon Prices Dropping, New Energy Finance Says

Silicon (Si) - Chemical properties, Health and Environmental effects

Ductile iron containing ~39% silicon. (Tech Spotlight).

Sand.... I just like the idea of a world where there's no shortages, and less need for toxic mining operations. There is no risk-free anything, but considering the options, silicon has much lower impacts along the manufacturing process, with newer methods in the pipeline..

And did you know (a little known factoid), that silicon solar cells can be made in any color in the rainbow? Blue is the convention, but you can get green ones, and amber were once produced as well..:hat:

I found it interesting that amorphous silicon cells are the best value, by far. Low power output compared to polycrystalline, or monocrystalline cells, but yet overall, the fastest payback. Need to cover a whole roof, though..

Best to max out the efficiency end of things, and then go with the solar..;)

 

Amorphous is akin to glass, except the metalloid is of course elemental.;)

Ah, my very own technologically advanced spam thread!:smug:

Did you know that silica is an important part of plant stems? In fact, silica is a significant part of what makes club moss stems rigid, and also makes them abrasive! Silica in diatoms gives them a unique property of lasting for eons as 'shells', and silica is also a component of portland cement - the formation of calcium silicate complexes adds greatly to the strength and setting of concrete.

 

Silicon alone cannot function as a semiconductor junction capable of producing solar power, so it is laced with very tiny amounts of elements that have either an extra electron which can be knocked loose by a photon, or atoms with a missing electron which will accept an electron. Typical "dopants" as they are called, include elements such as boron, phosphorous, arsenic, and several others.

YAY, my very own spam thread!!:dance::dance::sunny::sunny::hat::jester:

Today we will be discussing the value of a new type of economics - eco-economics. In an ideal world, things would be priced according to their real costs, including all externalities, and within the framework of a fair-market system.. In this world, governments would be responsive to the will of the people, and represent insofar as our intellectual capacity can purvey, a 'referee' of sorts, bringing into play all the things not visible when products or services are purchased, and representing the true will of the people - thus not allowing unscrupulous market activities to tilt the playing field in an unfair way to the advantage of those who do the 'tilting'.

Is this possible? Certainly! What does silicon have to do with this? Well, Silicon is the element that's most abundant in the crust, after oxygen; therefore, we have a virtually inexaustable supply of it; It is by far the choice in a true economy representing all components, externalities included. And it is durable. So durable infact, that most solar panels quit after decades of use because of loose solider joints or connections; not because the cells no longer produce electricity! Newer coatings make these cells even more durable, and in the long run, an excellent choice for electric production.

Ubiqity, energy-payback, durability, and good looks make silicon the element of choice.:sunny: All it takes is for silicon to see it's moment in the sun.:P

And silicon is related to Coldplay because (a) the solar cells need "daylight", and *b) the sun is all "Yellow", therefore, a definite connection! Here comes the sun, du du du du, here comes the sun; and I say... it's allright!

it's been a long cold lonely winter... it feels like years since it's been here

 

oh sorry, I thought it was karaoke night

Hey yes, Solar Karaoke!:sunny: silicon, the result of a supernovae and re-condensation into planets,,

One advantage of silicon is that, given sufficient technological advancement, it frees us all up from resource-dependent locations - no more resource wars for oil, tantalum, etc.etc... Silicon is ubiquitous and plentiful... the cornucopia overfloweth..:)

And the dopants (minor added elements) for silicon are typically boron and phosphorous. Boron is retrieved from borates commonly found in dry salt deposits; easily extracted, and with minimal environmental damage, as far as I can see. And phosphorous is quite common, but the main source for phosphorous is calcium phosphate rock (calcium apatite), mined or quarried in places like Florida. Both elements are only required in very minute quantities, so the demand from solar photovoltaics would remain low.

Other important constituents include aluminum frames, and glass covers. Aluminum as an element is next in abundance to silicon, and glass is melted quartz, fused with borates, sodium and potassium salts, calcium compounds, and the like to create the desired properties. Some copper is used for the wiring, but perhaps in the future this could be replaced with aluminum; the backs of the cells are plated to ensure ease of solidering, and therein require a wickable metal with good compatability with silicon; silver was used, and may still be the option (the plating is very thin), and there is tin and other elements in the solider. While not ideal, the opening for improvement is there - technology coherent with ecology will light the way forward.

The Classic Reference:Solar cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Glue can be a very sticky subject,.

 

:lol:

 

YAY, my very own spam thread!!:dance::dance::sunny::sunny::hat::jester:

 

hahahhahah I can spam this thread too :P

Sandy spam only, please!:P (from the beaches of El Salvador, where the sand is smoothened by the scrutching of sea turtle feet!:laugh3:)

Hey, you've got chip manufacturing there?! Make solar, and then the goofy leaders won't be able to goof up the utilities!

You'll regret about letting me spam with pics :P

 

I start my spamming with this pic:

 

 

That place is like 30 mins away from my home, I like the view!:)

 

 

And nope I don't have such thing :(

OOH! I like that kind of spam!!:) Be-u-ti-ful!!:sunny::sunny::sunny:

Is the sand volcanic, silica, oolitic (little rounded shell bits), or something else?? What color is it??

it's dark gray here's a pic of the same place but it's the end of the pier