Abstract
Despite the fact that many groups have tried to achieve solar silicon production using molten salt electrolysis, the motivation for this project is to build on a recent breakthrough in silicon molten salt chemistry. The novel molten salt bath comprised of MgF₂-CaF₂-YF₃-CaO-SiO₂ exhibits low volatility (<0.1 μg/cm2·s), low viscosity (<5 mPa·s), high ionic conductivity (>4 S/cm), SiO₂ solubility (>5 wt%), and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) solid oxide membrane (SOM) compatibility, which are all at least an order of magnitude better than prior works. Our goal is to produce high-purity silicon from natural 99.7-99.9% pure quartzite (SiO₂) in only one step, utilizing molten salt electrolysis with a state-of-the-art molten salt composition. This process can potentially produce silicon with 4-5N purity at $1.70/kg using <30 kWh/kg, with pure oxygen by-product and zero direct Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The 4-5N product purity would be sufficient for directional solidification, resulting in $2.20-2.70/kg solar-grade silicon cost, i.e., 90-95% lower than today. Besides considerable silicon price reduction, our novel technology provides a high level of scalability that can control solar silicon price fluctuations, while it is a "green" production.
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