Introduction Plasma spray coating is a form of thermal spraying. It involves heating a material electrically and spraying it on the substrate to be coated. This process can be used on a large surface area at a higher deposition rate than most other methods of thin-film deposition. A wide range of materials can be used...Continue Reading
Introduction Chemical vapor deposition is a coating method that is commonly used to produce thin films and coatings of very high quality. Gaseous reactants are usually used in this process. In chemical vapor deposition, you transport one or more volatile precursors to the reaction chamber. The volatile precursors usually decompose on a heated substrate surface...Continue Reading
Introduction A solar panel is an arrangement of connected solar cells. It is also referred to as a photovoltaic module. In solar panels, solar/light energy is converted into electrical energy by solar cells. An American named Charles Fritts produced the first commercial solar panel in 1881. Many technological advancements have transformed the first solar panels...Continue Reading
Introduction Thin-film solar panels are becoming more popular all over the world. There are various types of thin-film solar panels and each type has its advantages and disadvantages. This begs the question, of which thin-film solar panel is better suited for you. In this post, we will be exploring two types of thin-film solar panels...Continue Reading
What is CIGS Thin-Film Photovoltaic? Thin-film photovoltaics, also called solar cells, are devices that convert light energy into electrical energy using the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic effect explains how voltage is produced when light strikes a material. CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) is a semiconductor material most popularly known for its use in solar cells with...Continue Reading
The rare earth element ytterbium is a soft, malleable, and ductile element known for its bright silvery luster. Ytterbium is the fourteenth and penultimate element in the lanthanide series, an occurrence that explains the relative stability of its +2 oxidation state. But like the other lanthanides, the most common or stable oxidation state of Ytterbium...Continue Reading
Praseodymium is a chemical element with atomic number 59 and chemical symbol Pr. This element is the third member of the lanthanide series and is categorized as a rare-earth metal. It is soft, silvery, malleable, and ductile. The metal is valued for its magnetic, electrical, chemical, and optical properties. Praseodymium is actually too reactive and...Continue Reading
Cerium(Ce) has an atomic number of 58 and is the most abundant rare-earth metal known. It is the second element in the lanthanide series. Commercial-grade cerium has an iron-gray color. It is silvery when in its pure form, and it has almost the same ductility and softness as tin. Cerium is the most abundant rare-earth...Continue Reading
Yttrium (pronounced as IT-ree-em) is one of the important rare-earth elements, considering its application in different areas, such as in lasers, ceramics, camera lenses, and many other items. Yttrium is also applied as an additive in alloys. In this post, you’ll learn more about the discovery, production, properties, and uses of the yttrium element. Introduction...Continue Reading
