Attracting/Absorbing Photons

[robenergy]

Hi Peeps,

I hope I can eventually be of help to others, at the min I'm on a rather lively learning curve and got a massive niggle!

I understand different coatings can act to attract/absorb photons.

There is one in particular that caught my eye, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was called or where I saw it. And no idea if it is affective or not?

It was applied to a surface and left to dry. Once dry, it was "blow torched" and the roasted layer that was created, brushed off and the layer underneath is what was needed.

Does this make any sense to anybody? What is the material that is cremated? What material/method is it best applied to? And are there any better methods of absorbing photons?

I hope somebody can help, it'd be most appreciated! Even just a bit more of an idea to better my search terms!!

Thanks

Rob

[SunEagle]

Hi Peeps,

I hope I can eventually be of help to others, at the min I'm on a rather lively learning curve and got a massive niggle!

I understand different coatings can act to attract/absorb photons.

There is one in particular that caught my eye, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was called or where I saw it. And no idea if it is affective or not?

It was applied to a surface and left to dry. Once dry, it was "blow torched" and the roasted layer that was created, brushed off and the layer underneath is what was needed.

Does this make any sense to anybody? What is the material that is cremated? What material/method is it best applied to? And are there any better methods of absorbing photons?

I hope somebody can help, it'd be most appreciated! Even just a bit more of an idea to better my search terms!!

Thanks

Rob

The is a semi-conductor paint that Dupont was working on that would act like a thin film solar panel but I do not remember it needing to be roasted first.

[Naptown]

I think he is talking about the etching process which he can't do at home.

[robenergy]

I think he is talking about the etching process which he can't do at home.

I read about the chemical on a DIY solar panel site. Really kicking myself I didn't bookmark it.

If I could find out what chemical it was, I'd be giving it a good go at home!!! although (just googled and found) plasma-assisted matrix etching may be a bit of a stretch!:P lol.

Anyways, thanks for the search term (etching process), I don't think its what I'm looking for but defo helping with the learning curve!

[robenergy]

The is a semi-conductor paint that Dupont was working on that would act like a thin film solar panel but I do not remember it needing to be roasted first.

Thanks for the reply but its not what I was thinking of... It had to be Dupont that would come up with something like that.. I guess it won't be seeing the light of day...

What I saw, I may be wrong, was a cheap, inexpensive chemical that was applied to the surface and left to dry. Once dry it was cremated with a blow torch, and the burnt layer brushed off revealing (I think) another material that helped with the absorption of photons..

It just struck me as simple and possibly effective,, I'd love to experiment with it!

[SunEagle]

Thanks for the reply but its not what I was thinking of... It had to be Dupont that would come up with something like that.. I guess it won't be seeing the light of day...

What I saw, I may be wrong, was a cheap, inexpensive chemical that was applied to the surface and left to dry. Once dry it was cremated with a blow torch, and the burnt layer brushed off revealing (I think) another material that helped with the absorption of photons..

It just struck me as simple and possibly effective,, I'd love to experiment with it!

Well just absorbing photons does not make it a solar panel. You need two layers of semi conducting materials that form a barrier in between them. When the barrier is hit by a photon it frees an electron and creates an electron hole. This free electron is then harvested using low resistive paths (gold or silver mesh).

Whatever material you saw would have to somehow create this "barrier" between two materials after being "burnt" to create an application similar to a solar pv cell.

[inetdog]

Well just absorbing photons does not make it a solar panel. You need two layers of semi conducting materials that form a barrier in between them. When the barrier is hit by a photon it frees an electron and creates an electron hole. This free electron is then harvested using low resistive paths (gold or silver mesh).

Whatever material you saw would have to somehow create this "barrier" between two materials after being "burnt" to create an application similar to a solar pv cell.

Or else it would increase the absorbtivity of the material in a solar thermal panel more than simple black paint would?

PS: Forget about attracting. Light does not work that way. Think instead about preventing reflection of any light that is already heading in that direction.
Once the light has been absorbed, you need to either convert it into some form of energy other than thermal or you have to keep the temperature low so that the heat does not just radiate away again through your lovely black surface.

[SunEagle]

Or else it would increase the absorbtivity of the material in a solar thermal panel more than simple black paint would?

PS: Forget about attracting. Light does not work that way. Think instead about preventing reflection of any light that is already heading in that direction.
Once the light has been absorbed, you need to either convert it into some form of energy other than thermal or you have to keep the temperature low so that the heat does not just radiate away again through your lovely black surface.

Good point. I only thought he was referring to a pv type material. If he is talking about absorbing infrared then there may be some material that after it is burned becomes a heat sink like a solar water heater panel.

[inetdog]

Good point. I only thought he was referring to a pv type material. If he is talking about absorbing infrared then there may be some material that after it is burned becomes a heat sink like a solar water heater panel.

I am thinking that in particular the result of burning might be a very rough or porous texture which would inhibit reflection at all frequencies.
SWAG anyway.