Synthesis and characterization of silicon carbide from coconut shell (Cocus nucifera) and its potential in photovolataic cell application [manuscript]
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Date
2018
Authors
Ian Jasper R. Ampeloquio
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Abstract
Coconut industry is one of the dominant sectors in the Philippine agriculture. Being one of the largest industries, coconut processing often leaves large amount of agricultural wastes. Coconut shells contains relatively high amount of silica and carbon, sources which are important in the synthesis of silicon carbide (SiC) as a valuable material that can be used in different industries. The synthesized Silicon carbide was tested for its potential in solar photovoltaic cell application by measuring the band gap energy. A semiconductor for solar photovoltaic cell application by measuring the band gap energy. A semiconductor for solar photovoltaic cell must have a band energy gap in the range of 1.1 to 1.7 eV.
SiC synthesis usually requires high energy but this study used Magnesiothermic Reduction, a low cost and low energy method in the synthesis of Silicon carbide. Different magnesium loading was used to synthesized Silicon Carbide.
The synthesis was successfully done as supported by SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis. The measured band gap energies of the synthesized SiC fromcoconut shell regardless of the magnesium loading was about 2.1 eV. Doping the products using different concentrations of Na2HPO4 results in the lowering of the band gap energy to as low as 1.39 eV. Silicon carbide can be synthesized using magnesiothermic reduction method and doping the products promises a potential for photovoltaic solar cell application.