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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Tensile performance of sustainable Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composites with hybrid PVA and recycled PET fibers

Highlights: • SHCCs with hybrid PVA/PET fibers are theoretically and experimentally studied. • A semi-empirical way to predict strain capacity of hybrid-fiber SHCCs is proposed. • The impacts of PET fiber surface treatment and curing time are explored. • SHCCs achieve satisfactory performance even 50% PVA fibers are replaced by PET fibers. • Using PET fibers in SHCCs effectively reduces material cost and environmental impact. - Abstract: Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composite (SHCC) is a type of advanced construction material that can enhance the resiliency and durability of structures. However, the high cost of the constituents limits the wide application of SHCCs. To reduce the material cost and improve the sustainability, this study explores the potential of replacing commonly-used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers by recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. The potential of fiber hybridization was first evaluated using micromechanical modeling, and the ultimate tensile strain of hybrid-fiber SHCCs was estimated using a semi-empirical method. Then the tensile performance of SHCCs after standard curing and accelerated aging was experimentally evaluated, and the crack pattern development with increasing tensile strain was recorded. Satisfactory mechanical performance can be achieved even when 50% of PVA fibers are replaced by recycled PET fibers with surface treatment. In addition, using recycled PET fibers in SHCCs can significantly reduce the material cost and environmental impact.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Hair mercury concentrations and associated factors in an electronic waste recycling area, Guiyu, China

Objective: Toxic heavy metals are released to the environment constantly from unregulated electronic waste (e-waste) recycling in Guiyu, China, and thus may contribute to the elevation of mercury (Hg) and other heavy metals levels in human hair. We aimed to investigate concentrations of mercury in hair from Guiyu and potential risk factors and compared them with those from a control area where no e-waste processing occurs. Methods: A total of 285 human hair samples were collected from three villages (including Beilin, Xianma, and Huamei) of Guiyu (n=205) and the control area, Jinping district of Shantou city (n=80). All the volunteers were administered a questionnaire regarding socio-demographic characteristics and other possible factors contributed to hair mercury concentration. Hair mercury concentration was analyzed by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). Results: Our results suggested that hair mercury concentrations in volunteers of Guiyu (median, 0.99; range, 0.18–3.98 μg/g) were significantly higher than those of Jinping (median, 0.59; range, 0.12–1.63 μg/g). We also observed a higher over-limit ratio (>1 μg/g according to USEPA) in Guiyu than in Jinping (48.29% vs. 11.25%, P<0.001). Logistic regression model showed that the variables of living house also served as an e-waste workshop, work related to e-waste, family income, time of residence in Guiyu, the distance between home and waste incineration, and fish intake were associated with hair mercury concentration. After multiple stepwise regression analysis, in the Guiyu samples, hair mercury concentration was found positively associated with the time residence in Guiyu (β=0.299, P<0.001), and frequency of shellfish intake (β=0.184, P=0.016); and negatively associated with the distance between home and waste incineration (β=−0.190, P=0.015) and whether house also served as e-waste workshop (β=−0.278, P=0.001). Conclusions: This study investigated human mercury exposure and suggested elevated hair mercury concentrations in an e-waste recycling area, Guiyu, China. Living in Guiyu for a long time and work related to e-waste may primarily contribute to the high hair mercury concentrations. -- Highlights: • Mercury levels in hair samples from Guiyu and risk factors were assessed. • The recruitments from Guiyu were exposed to high levels of mercury. • Primitive e-waste recycling resulted in high mercury exposure of local people.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Comprehensive multipathway risk assessment of chemicals associated with recycled ({sup c}rumb{sup )} rubber in synthetic turf fields

Highlights: • A human health risk assessment of recycled rubber in synthetic turf fields. • Youth athletes, as well as child and adult spectators, were considered. • For risk communication, a side-by-side comparison to natural soil was included. • Cancer risk and non-cancer hazard were below US EPA guidelines for soil and rubber. • For most scenarios, cancer risks were higher for natural soil fields. Thousands of synthetic turf fields in the US are regularly used by millions of individuals (particularly children and adolescents). Although many safety assessments have concluded that there are low or negligible risks related to exposure to chemicals found in the recycled rubber used to make these fields, concerns remain about the safety of this product. Existing studies of recycled rubber's potential health risks have limitations such as small sample sizes and limited evaluation of relevant exposure pathways and scenarios.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Water-Based Electrode Manufacturing and Direct Recycling of Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes—A Green and Sustainable Manufacturing System

It is critical to develop a low-cost and environmentally friendly system to manufacture and recycle lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as the demand on LIBs keeps increasing dramatically. Conventional LIB cathodes are manufactured using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as the solvent, which is expensive, highly toxic, flammable, and energy intensive to produce and recover. Ideally, a close-loop industrial supply chain should be built, in which the batteries are manufactured, market harvested, and recycled with minimal external toxic solvent through the whole system. This work demonstrates a green and more sustainable manufacturing method for LIBs where no hazardous organic solvent is used during electrode manufacturing and recycling. The electrodes fabricated via water-based processing demonstrate comparable rate performance and cycle life to the ones from conventional solvent-based processing. Utilization of a water-soluble binder enables recovering the cathode compound from spent electrodes using water, which is successfully regenerated to deliver comparable electrochemical performance to the pristine one.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effects of processing temperature, pressure, and fiber volume fraction on mechanical and morphological behaviors of fully-recyclable uni-directional thermoplastic polymer-fiber-reinforced polymers

This work explores a type of composite called thermoplastic polymer-fiber-reinforced polymers (PFRPs), often referred to as self-reinforced composites (SRCs). A representative PFRP was exemplified using unidirectional (UD) ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers embedded in a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. The effects of compression molding temperature and pressure on the mechanical and morphological behaviors of the filament-wound PFRPs with various fiber volume fractions (V f ) were experimentally investigated. The results elucidate the evolution of morphologies and tensile properties of the PFRPs due to thermal melting, fiber misalignment from pressure, and (V f )-induced structural variance, which has not been comprehensively reported yet. The highest specific tensile strength and modulus of the PFRP laminae reach 600 MPa/(g/cm 3 ) and 31 GPa/(g/cm 3 ), respectively. These properties are comparable to glass-/aramid-fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs, GFRTPs, AFRPs, and AFRTPs), with PFRPs exhibiting better ductility (specific strain at peak load ≈ 4%/(g/cm 3 )) than other common polymer composites. The motivation for this work was the high recyclability of PFRPs, which can be recycled by melting both the fibers and the matrix, and then reshaped them for re-manufacturing composites to maximize the efficiency in material reuse. This process simplifies the implementation of closed-loop recycling, re-manufacturing, and reuse to support sustainability in composites. This work aims to contribute to advancing thermoplastic PFRPs for their potential applications in various industries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Direct recycling of spent nickel-rich cathodes in reciprocal ternary molten salts

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have revolutionized portable electronics and electric vehicles (EVs), but the growing accumulation of end-of-life (EOL) batteries poses environmental challenges. Recycling high-value cathodes from EOL LIBs can minimize waste and reduce the need for mining critical minerals. Here, this study focuses on the direct recycling of Ni-rich cathodes, particularly lithium-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) 622 in a “reciprocal ternary molten salts (RTMS)" system. The ionothermal relithiation in the RTMS system successfully restores the layered structure, lithium content, and electrochemical performance of the NMC 622 cathode, comparable to the pristine material. The cost analysis reveals that cathode regeneration through ionothermal relithiation is more economical than virgin production or conventional recycling methods.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Microstructure characterization of recycled IN718 powder and resulting laser clad material

Highlights: • A simple and efficient recycling procedure of IN718 powder has been defined for the laser cladding process. • Characterization of wasted and cleaned powder and comparison with new IN718 powder pointed out a slight diameter increase. • Microstructure characterization of clad builds showed differences between builds with new and recycled powders. • Clad microstructure and porosity increase remain constant static properties but decrease rupture strain after 3 reuses. • Without special precautions for cladding, the recycled powder can be reused twice without modifying the properties of IN718. - Abstract: The possibility to reuse the metal powder wasted in Laser Material Deposition (LMD) process has been evaluated and a simple procedure developed. LMD uses metal powder which is fed through a nozzle into the focal point of a laser, where it melts the powder and the substrate material. During the process, a high ratio of particles hits against an unmelted area and directly bounces off the deposited area. The efficiency ratio of deposition can drop to 40% depending on the configuration and spot size. This work deals with the design of a procedure to recollect and reuse the wasted powder of a nickel based superalloy IN718. After usage, powder is recollected, undesired fractions are magnetically segregated and aggregates are removed by sieving. The particles are mixed again and ready for reuse. In order to study the effectiveness of the process, no new powder has been added to the recovered fraction, and this procedure has been repeated five times. Experimental tests show that deposited material present similar properties than those obtained with new powder grains. But, after 3 reuses, the porosity content increases consequently and the rupture strain decreases strongly. The implementation of this process allows the improvement of the final efficiency, reducing costs and decreasing the hazardous powder amount.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Synthesis and characterization of NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}–Pd magnetically recyclable catalyst for hydrogenation reaction

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Novel superparamagnetic NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}–Pd magnetically recyclable catalyst was fabricated through co-precipitation. ► It could be reused several times without significant loss in catalytic activity for hydrogenation reaction. ► No further modification of the NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}–Pd magnetically recyclable catalyst is necessary for utilization as catalyst. -- Abstract: Herein we report the fabrication and characterization magnetically recyclable catalysts of NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}–Pd nanocomposite as highly effective catalysts for reduction reactions in liquid phase. The reduction Pd{sup 2+} was accomplished with polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) instead of sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) and NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles was prepared by sonochemically using FeCI{sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O and NiCl{sub 2}. The chemical characterization of the product was done with X-ray diffractometry, Infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, thermal gravimetry and inductively coupled plasma. Thus formed NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}–Pd MRCs showed a very high activity in reduction reactions of 4-nitro aniline and 1,3-dinitrobenzene in liquid phase. It was found out that the catalytic activity of NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}–Pd MRCs on the reduction of 4-nitro aniline and 1,3-dinitrobenzene in liquid phase are between 99–93% and 98–93%, respectively. Magnetic character of this system allowed recovery and multiple use without significant loss of its catalytic activity. It is found that NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}–Pd MRCs showed very efficient catalytic activity and multiple usability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Recyclable magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2/β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Tm3+/TiO2 composites with NIR enhanced photocatalytic activity

Highlights: • Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2}/β-NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+},Tm{sup 3+}/TiO{sub 2} composites have been successfully fabricated. • The upconversion of energy transfer from β-NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+},Tm{sup 3+} to TiO{sub 2} was confirmed. • Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2}/β-NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+},Tm{sup 3+}/TiO{sub 2} composites exhibit photocatalytic activity in NIR. • The composites can be easily magnetic separated from water after application. • The composites show good stability indicated from four recycled tests. - Abstract: To extend the activities of TiO{sub 2} to the near infrared (NIR) region and to separate and recycle photocatalysts easily is vital for the high harvest of solar energy for sustainable society. The magnetic NIR activated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2}/β-NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+},Tm{sup 3+}/TiO{sub 2} (FS/UC/T) composites have been synthesized by using the solvothermal method by adding Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2} and Degussa P25 into the mixed solution of NaOH, ethanol, oleic acid, Re(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} and NH{sub 4}F. Moreover, the obtained composites were explored for photocatalytic applications. It was found that FS/UC/T emit UV–vis light under irradiation of 980 nm laser and efficient energy transfer from β-NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+},Tm{sup 3+} to TiO{sub 2} was verified. The photodegradation experiments for treating methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO) and colorless phenol were carried out to evaluate the photocatalytic activities of the samples. The photodegradation rates reach 76.62%, 68.48%, 30.05% and 27.16% for MB, RhB, MO and phenol under irradiation of 980 nm laser, respectively, which suggested magnetic FS/UC/T composite is an advanced NIR-driven photocatalyst. Moreover, the magnetic photocatalyst showed easy separation and good stability in the recycled tests. It suggested a promising system to utilize the NIR energy for photocatalysis based on TiO{sub 2} and to utilize the magnetic for separation of photocatalysts, which will contribute to practical environmental remediation in the future.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sustainable, degradable and malleable low-dielectric-constant thermosets derived from biomass for recyclable green electronics

In view of their excellent thermal and chemical resistance, favorable adhesion properties, high tensile strength, and other advantages, epoxy thermosets have numerous industrial applications such as coating, adhesive, and composite material production. However, bisphenol A (BPA)-based resins, which account for a significant fraction of the above thermosets, adversely affect human health by interfering with the normal functioning of the endocrine system and cannot be easily decomposed and recycled. Herein, degradable and sustainable bio-based epoxy thermosets with crosslinked network structures are prepared by the epoxidation of isosorbide with epichlorohydrin and the curing of the produced isosorbide diglycidyl ether (ISDGE) with cyclic lactones through a cationic ring-opening reaction. The ISDGE thermosets fully decompose into soluble and recyclable products under mildly basic conditions within three days, which is ascribed to the presence of ester moieties within the polymer network structure. Compared to a representative BPA-based epoxy, ISDGE-based thermosets exhibit lower dielectric constants and are more flexible. Moreover, the glass fibers in ISDGE-based prepregs can be fully recovered after on-demand degradation. Furthermore, our work provides promising eco-friendly alternatives to conventional epoxy thermosets and paves the way for the reduction of plastic waste generation and the development of recyclable green electronics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Enhancement of the anaerobic hydrolysis and fermentation of municipal solid waste in leachbed reactors by varying flow direction during water addition and leachate recycle

Highlights: ► Combined downflow and upflow water addition improved hydraulic conductivity. ► Upflow water addition unclogged perforated screen leading to more leachate flow. ► The volume of water added and transmitted positively correlated with hydrolysis process. ► Combined downflow and upflow water addition increased COD production and yield. ► Combined downflow and upflow leachate recycle improved leachate and COD production. - Abstract: Poor performance of leachbed reactors (LBRs) is attributed to channelling, compaction from waste loading, unidirectional water addition and leachate flow causing reduced hydraulic conductivity and leachate flow blockage. Performance enhancement was evaluated in three LBRs M, D and U at 22 ± 3 °C using three water addition and leachate recycle strategies; water addition was downflow in D throughout, intermittently upflow and downflow in M and U with 77% volume downflow in M, 54% volume downflow in U while the rest were upflow. Leachate recycle was downflow in D, alternately downflow and upflow in M and upflow in U. The strategy adopted in U led to more water addition (30.3%), leachate production (33%) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) solubilisation (33%; 1609 g against 1210 g) compared to D (control). The total and volatile solids (TS and VS) reductions were similar but the highest COD yield (g-COD/g-TS and g-COD/g-VS removed) was in U (1.6 and 1.9); the values were 1.33 and 1.57 for M, and 1.18 and 1.41 for D respectively. The strategy adopted in U showed superior performance with more COD and leachate production compared to reactors M and D.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Endocytosis of the non-catalytic ADAM23: Recycling and long half-life properties

A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 23 (ADAM23) is a member of the ADAMs family of transmembrane proteins, mostly expressed in nervous system, and involved in traffic and stabilization of Kv1-potassium channels, synaptic transmission, neurite outgrowth, neuronal morphology and cell adhesion. Also, ADAM23 has been linked to human pathological conditions, such as epilepsy, cancer metastasis and cardiomyopathy. ADAM23 functionality depends on the molecule presence at the cell surface and along the secretory pathway, as expected for a cell surface receptor. Because endocytosis is an important functional regulatory mechanism of plasma membrane receptors and no information is available about the traffic or turnover of non-catalytic ADAMs, we investigated ADAM23 internalization, recycling and half-life properties. Here, we show that ADAM23 undergoes constitutive internalization from the plasma membrane, a process that depends on lipid raft integrity, and is redistributed to intracellular vesicles, especially early and recycling endosomes. Furthermore, we observed that ADAM23 is recycled from intracellular compartments back to the plasma membrane and thus has longer half-life and higher cell surface stability compared with other ADAMs. Our findings suggest that regulation of ADAM23 endocytosis/stability could be exploited therapeutically in diseases in which ADAM23 is directly involved, such as epilepsy, cancer progression and cardiac hypertrophy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Novel Polyethylenimine–Acrylamide/SiO 2 Hybrid Hydrogel Sorbent for Rare-Earth-Element Recycling from Aqueous Sources

Recycling rare earth elements (REEs) becomes increasingly important due to their supply vulnerability and increasing demands in industry, agriculture, and national security. Hybrid hydrogel sorbents were outstanding due to their high stability and selectivity. Organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogels were synthesized by thermo-polymerization of acrylamide onto PEI polymer chain with N,N’-methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinker. The grafted network was evidenced by DRIFTS and XPS. The porous structure was observed by SEM. Crosslink degree, PEI grafting degree, and SiO 2 concentration were studied to optimize the REEs adsorption. The pH value of the medium greatly affected REE adsorption capacity, where the nearly neutral conditions gave the strongest bonding of REEs to active sites. Moreover, kinetic studies showed that the rate-determining step of the adsorption process was chemical sorption, and that REE diffusion within micropores was the control step for, specifically, intraparticle diffusion. The adsorbents showed excellent selectivity and recyclability for REEs through 5 adsorption-desorption cycles in contact with synthetic acid mine drainage solution. A high separation toward REEs over fouling metals was achieved by using a citrate-based buffer eluent solution. This hybrid hydrogel shows promise for the recycling of REEs from aqueous solutions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Catalytic Chemical Recycling of Post-Consumer Polyethylene

Among commercial plastics, polyolefins are the most widely produced worldwide but have limited recyclability. Here, we report a chemical recycling route for the conversion of post-consumer high-density polyethylene (HDPE) into telechelic macromonomers suitable for circular reprocessing. Unsaturation was introduced into HDPE by catalytic dehydrogenation using an Ir-POCOP catalyst without an alkene acceptor. Cross-metathesis with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate followed by hydrogenation transformed the partially unsaturated HDPE into telechelic macromonomers. The direct repolymerization of the macromonomers gave a brittle material due to the low overall weight-average molecular weight. Aminolysis of telechelic macromonomers with a small amount of diethanolamine increased the overall functionality. The resulting macromonomers were repolymerized through transesterification to generate a polymer with comparable mechanical properties to the starting post-consumer HDPE waste. Finally, depolymerization of the repolymerized material catalyzed by an organic base regenerated the telechelic macromonomers, thereby allowing waste polyethylene materials to enter a chemical recycling pathway.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Chemical Recycling of Thiol Epoxy Thermosets via Light-Driven C–C Bond Cleavage

Epoxy thermosets are high-volume materials that play a central role in a wide range of engineering applications; however, technologies to recycle these polymers remain rare. Here, we present a catalytic, light-driven method that enables chemical recycling of industrially relevant thiol epoxy thermosets to their original monomer at ambient temperature. This strategy relies on the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) activation of hydroxy groups within the polymer network to generate key alkoxy radicals that promote the fragmentation of the polymer through C–C bond β-scission. The method fully depolymerizes insoluble thiol epoxy thermosets into well-defined mixtures of small-molecule products, which can collectively be converted into the original monomer via a one-step dealkylation process. Notably, this process is selective and efficient even in the presence of other commodity plastics and additives commonly found in commercial applications. Finally, these results constitute an important step toward making epoxy thermosets recyclable and more generally exemplify the potential of PCET to offer a more sustainable end-of-life for a diverse array of commercial plastics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Iron-Catalyzed Cross-[2 + 2] Cycloaddition of Butadiene and α,ω-Dienes for Ductile and Chemically Recyclable Poly(oligocyclobutanes)

Poly(divinyloligocyclobutanes) (pDVOCBs) are a distinct class of butadiene-derived, chemically recyclable polyolefins prepared from iron-catalyzed [2 + 2] cycloaddition followed by ruthenium-catalyzed ADMET polymerization. These polymers are highly crystalline, with high melting temperatures and unique rotator phases. The high degree of crystallinity in these materials not only leads to high stiffness over a broad temperature range but also results in brittle failure for polymers of modest molecular weights. Iron-catalyzed cross-[2 + 2] cycloaddition of butadiene and α,ω-dienes was accomplished, where the number of methylene units between the four-membered rings was systematically varied. Subsequent ADMET polymerization of the resulting telechelic oligomers provided a new class of chemically recyclable polyolefins that exhibit distinct thermomechanical properties. Specifically, methylene units induce changes in crystallinity that, in combination with the increased molecular weight, favored the formation of stable necks upon tensile deformation, with ∼10× enhanced ductility and improved toughness compared to pDVOCB. Through combined experimental and computational studies, the effects of methylene spacers on the crystal-to-rotator transition of the cyclobutane polymers were established. Ultimately, these methylene-modified cyclobutane polymers expand the range of properties and potential applications of this class of recyclable polyolefins.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Testing the Recycled Gabbro Hypothesis for the Origin of “Ghost Plagioclase” Melt Signatures Using 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of Individual Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions From Hawai'i

Melt inclusions with large, positive Sr anomalies have been described in multiple tectonic settings, and the origins of this unusual geochemical feature are debated. Three origins have been proposed, all involving plagioclase as the source of the elevated Sr: (i) direct assimilation of plagioclase-rich lithologies, (ii) recycled lower oceanic gabbro in the mantle source, and (iii) shallow-level diffusive interaction between present day lower oceanic crust (i.e., plagioclase-bearing lithologies) and the percolating melt. A “ghost plagioclase” signature (i.e., a large, positive Sr anomaly without associated high Al 2 O 3 ) is present in melt inclusions from Mauna Loa. Here, we present new 87 Sr/ 86 Sr measurements of individual olivine-hosted melt inclusions from three Hawaiian volcanoes, Mauna Loa, Loihi, and Koolau. The data set includes a Mauna Loa melt inclusion with the highest reported Sr anomaly (or highest (Sr/Ce) N , which is 7.2) for Hawai'i. All melt inclusions have 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values within the range reported previously for the lavas from each volcano. Critically, the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of the high (Sr/Ce) N melt inclusion lies within the narrow range of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr for Mauna Loa melts that lack high (Sr/Ce) N signatures. Therefore, to explain the high (Sr/Ce) N ratio of the ghost plagioclase signature using an ancient recycled gabbro, the gabbro-infused mantle source would have had to evolve, by chance, to have the same 87 Sr/ 86 Sr as the source of the Mauna Loa melts that lack a recycled gabbro (ghost plagioclase) signature. Alternatively, shallow-level diffusive interactions between Mauna Loa plagioclase-rich cumulates and a percolating mantle-derived melt provides a simpler explanation for the presence of the high (Sr/Ce) N Mauna Loa melts.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Selective dissolution of halide perovskites as a step towards recycling solar cells

Most research on perovskite solar cells has focused on improving power-conversion efficiency and stability. However, if one could refurbish perovskite solar cells, their stability might not be a critical issue. From the perspective of cost effectiveness, if failed, perovskite solar cells could be collected and recycled; reuse of their gold electrodes and transparent conducting glasses could reduce the price per watt of perovskite photovoltaic modules. Here, we present a simple and effective method for removing the perovskite layer and reusing the mesoporous TiO 2 -coated transparent conducting glass substrate via selective dissolution. We find that the perovskite layer can be easily decomposed in polar aprotic solvents because of the reaction between polar aprotic solvents and Pb 2+ cations. After 10 cycles of recycling, a mesoporous TiO 2 -coated transparent conducting glass substrate-based perovskite solar cell still shows a constant power-conversion efficiency, thereby demonstrating the possibility of recycling perovskite solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗