Abstract
During this reporting period, major effects were expended on process system properties, chemical engineering and economic analyses. Major activities were continued on process system properties of silicon source materials under consideration for solar cell grade silicon production. In property correlation efforts, property data results are presented for heat of vaporization, gas heat capacity, liquid heat capacity, liquid density, surface tension and gas viscosity of silane (SiH/sub 4/) as a function of temperature. Major chemical engineering analysis activities are being devoted to preliminary process design for a silane (SiH/sub 4/) plant that will produce 1000 metric tons/year of solar cell grade silicon. The technology developed by Union Carbide for the production of silane uses hydrogen and metallurgical grade silicon as raw materials. Preliminary process flow diagram and base conditions are reported. Preliminary process design was initiated for the conventional polysilicon process now used in the United States to produce semiconductor grade silicon from TCS (trichlorosilane, SiHCl/sub 3/). Economic analysis activities in Task 3 focused on development of a computer model to aid in estimation of product and plant investment costs for the alternate solar cell grade silicon processes. Application of the computer model to the Battelle process (Zn/SiCl/sub 4/) indicated $10,510,000 fixed capital investment and $9.63/KG of silicon for a 1000 metric ton/yr. plant. Economic analysis activities also centered on developing cost standardization techniques for application to the alternate processes.
Submitted Version (
Free)
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call