Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Lead”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of temperature on light induced degradation in methylammonium lead iodide perovskite thin films and solar cells

Here in this study we investigate the light and heat-induced degradation of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ) perovskite films in an inert atmosphere to exclude the effect of oxygen and humidity. Films aged under solar intensities started to degrade above 75 °C, while films in the dark degraded at 95 °C. To investigate the temperature-induced degradation mechanism, spectroscopic techniques such as Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) were used. Results show that the films aged under light at 75 °C degraded to a mixture of PbI 2 and metallic Pb. In contrast, films aged thermally in the dark, or with light and oxygen, degraded to PbI 2 only. MAPbI 3 solar cells were aged to show the effect of the metallic lead on the charge transfer mechanism

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Survey of mercury, cadmium and lead content of household batteries

Highlights: • A well selected sample of 146 batteries was analysed for its heavy metals content. • A comparison was made between heavy metals contents in batteries in 2006 and 2011. • No significant change after implementation of the new EU Batteries Directive. • Severe differences in heavy metal contents were found in different battery-types. - Abstract: The objective of this work was to provide updated information on the development of the potential impact of heavy metal containing batteries on municipal waste and battery recycling processes following transposition of the new EU Batteries Directive 2006/66/EC. A representative sample of 146 different types of commercially available dry and button cells as well as lithium-ion accumulators for mobile phones were analysed for their mercury (Hg)-, cadmium (Cd)- and lead (Pb)-contents. The methods used for preparing the cells and analysing the heavy metals Hg, Cd, and Pb were either developed during a former study or newly developed. Several batteries contained higher mass fractions of mercury or cadmium than the EU limits. Only half of the batteries with mercury and/or lead fractions above the marking thresholds were labelled. Alkaline–manganese mono-cells and Li-ion accumulators, on average, contained the lowest heavy metal concentrations, while zinc–carbon batteries, on average, contained the highest levels.

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

Synergistic Enhancement of Lead and Selenate Uptake at the Barite (001)–Water Interface

The interactions of heavy metals with minerals influence the mobility and bioavailability of toxic elements in natural aqueous environments. The sorption of heavy metals on covalently bonded minerals is generally well described by surface complexation models (SCMs). However, understanding sorption on sparingly soluble minerals is challenging because of the dynamically evolving chemistry of sorbent surfaces. The interpretation can be even more complicated when multiple metal ions compete for sorption. In the present study, we observed synergistically enhanced uptake of lead and selenate on the barite (001) surface through two sorption mechanisms: lattice incorporation that dominates at lower coverages and two-dimensional monolayer growth that dominates at higher coverages. Further, we also observed a systematic increase in the sorption affinity with increasing co-sorbed ion coverages, different from the assumption of invariant binding constants for individual adsorption processes in classical SCMs. Computational simulations showed thermodynamically favorable co-incorporation of lead and selenate by simultaneously substituting for barium and sulfate in neighboring sites, resulting in the formation of molecular clusters that locally match the net dimension of the substrate lattice. These results emphasize the importance of ion–ion interactions at mineral–water interfaces that control the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Intersubband Transitions in Lead Halide Perovskite-Based Quantum Wells for Mid-Infrared Detectors

Due to their excellent optical and electrical properties as well as versatile growth and fabrication processes, lead halide perovskites have been widely considered as promising candidates for green energy and applications related to optoelectronics. Here, we investigate their potential applications at infrared wavelengths by modeling the intersubband transitions in perovskite-based quantum well systems. Both single-well and double-well structures are studied, and their energy levels as well as the corresponding wave functions and intersubband transition energies are calculated by solving the one-dimensional Schrödinger equations. Via adjustment of the quantum well and barrier thicknesses, the intersubband transition energies can be tuned to cover a broad infrared wavelength range. We also find that the lead halide perovskite-based quantum wells possess high absorption coefficients. In conclusion, the widely tunable transition energies and high absorption coefficients of the perovskite-based quantum well systems, combined with their unique material and electrical properties, may enable an alternative material system for infrared photodetector applications.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Probing Linewidths and Biexciton Quantum Yields of Single Cesium Lead Halide Nanocrystals in Solution

Cesium lead halide (CsPbX 3 , X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have recently become a promising material for optoelectronic applications due to their high emission quantum yields and facile band gap tunability via both halide composition and size. The spectroscopy of single PNCs enhances our understanding of the effect of confinement on excitations in PNCs in the absence of obfuscating ensemble averaging and can also inform synthetic efforts. However, single PNC studies have been hampered by poor PNC photostability under confocal excitation, precluding interrogation of all but the most stable PNCs, and leading to a lack of understanding of PNCs in the regime of high confinement. Here, we report the first comprehensive spectroscopic investigation of single PNC properties using solution-phase photon-correlation methods, including both highly confined and blue-emitting PNCs, previously inaccessible to single NC techniques. With minimally perturbative solution-phase photon-correlation Fourier spectroscopy (s-PCFS), we establish that the ensemble emission linewidth of PNCs of all sizes and compositions is predominantly determined by the intrinsic single PNC linewidth (homogeneous broadening). The single PNC linewidth, in turn, dramatically increases with increasing confinement, consistent with what has been found for II–VI semiconductor nanocrystals. With solution-phase photon antibunching measurements, we survey the biexciton-to-exciton quantum yield ratio (BX/X QY) in the absence of user-selection bias or photodegradation. Remarkably, the BX/X QY ratio depends both on the PNC size and halide composition, with values between ~2% for highly confined bromide PNCs and ~50% for intermediately confined iodide PNCs. Our results suggest a wide range of underlying Auger rates, likely due to transitory charge carrier separation in PNCs with relaxed confinement.

single nanocrystal spectroscopy↗
DOE OSTI2020

Moisture-Induced Structural Degradation in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin Films

Methylammonium lead iodide (CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 , MAPbI 3 ) belongs to the group of organic–inorganic halide perovskites (OIHPs) that exhibit exceptional electrical and optical behavior suitable for photovoltaic applications. However, improving its structural and chemical stability and robustness remains a challenge for OIHPs to be considered a feasible active material in optoelectronic devices. This is due to the fact that this material is very susceptible to degrade under various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms through which MAPbI 3 undergoes chemical degradation under operating conditions such as a relatively humid environment. We present the structural characteristics of MAPbI 3 under working conditions that suggest the routes of phase segregation as a result of exposing to highly moist media. We use dark pulse discharge behavior and current–voltage (I–V) variations of MAPbI 3 under different moisture levels to investigate the nature of structural degradation in OIHPs. Here we show that while relatively lower levels of humidity (~60% RH) have a limited impact on the structural stability of MAPbI 3 , exposure to higher levels of moisture (~100% RH) results in the formation of PbI 2 and aqueous CH 3 NH 3 I, which fundamentally change the charge transport characteristics in MAPbI 3 . Our findings explain the ongoing debate on the presence of a threshold for the humidity that triggers irreversible structural transformation and leads to full degradation of MAPbI 3 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effect of Rubidium Incorporation on the Structural, Electrical, and Photovoltaic Properties of Methylammonium Lead Iodide-Based Perovskite Solar Cells

We report the electrical properties of rubidium-incorporated methylammonium lead iodide ((Rb x MA 1-x )PbI 3 ) films and the photovoltaic performance of (Rb x MA 1-x )PbI 3 film-based p-i-n-type perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The incorporation of a small amount of Rb + (x = 0.05) increases both the open circuit voltage (V oc ) and the short circuit photocurrent density (J sc ) of the PSCs, leading to an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, a high fraction of Rb + incorporation (x = 0.1 and 0.2) decreases the J sc and thus the PCE, which is attributed to the phase segregation of the single tetragonal perovskite phase to a MA-rich tetragonal perovskite phase and a RbPbI 3 orthorhombic phase at high Rb fractions. Conductive atomic force microscopic and admittance spectroscopic analyses reveal that the single-phase (Rb 0.05 MA 0.95 )PbI 3 film has a high electrical conductivity because of a reduced deep-level trap density. We also found that Rb substitution enhances the diode characteristics of the PSC, as evidenced by the reduced reverse saturation current (J 0 ). The optimized (Rb x MA 1-x )PbI 3 PSCs exhibited a PCE of 18.8% with negligible hysteresis in the photocurrent-voltage curve. The results from this work enhance the understanding of the effect of Rb incorporation into organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites and enable the exploration of Rb-incorporated mixed perovskites for various applications, such as solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Lead-Free Organic–Perovskite Hybrid Quantum Wells for Highly Stable Light-Emitting Diodes

Two-dimensional perovskites that could be regarded as natural organic-inorganic hybrid quantum wells (HQWs) are promising for light-emitting diode (LED) applications. High photoluminescence quantum efficiencies (approaching 80%) and extremely narrow emission bandwidth (less than 20 nm) have been demonstrated in their single crystals; however, a reliable electrically driven LED device has not been realized owing to inefficient charge injection and extremely poor stability. Furthermore, the use of toxic lead raises concerns. Here, we report Sn(II)-based organic-perovskite HQWs employing molecularly tailored organic semiconducting barrier layers for efficient and stable LEDs. Utilizing femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, we demonstrate the energy transfer from organic barrier to inorganic perovskite emitter occurs faster than the intramolecular charge transfer in the organic layer. Consequently, this process allows efficient conversion of lower-energy emission associated with the organic layer into higher-energy emission from the perovskite layer. Thus, this greatly broadened the candidate pool for the organic layer. Incorporating a bulky small bandgap organic barrier in the HQW, charge transport is enhanced and ion migration is greatly suppressed. We demonstrate a HQW-LED device with pure red emission, a maximum luminance of 3466 cd m -2 , a peak external quantum efficiency up to 3.33%, and an operational stability of over 150 h, which are significantly better than previously reported lead-free perovskite LEDs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

High Tolerance to Iron Contamination in Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

The relationship between charge-carrier lifetime and the tolerance of lead halide perovskite (LHP) solar cells to intrinsic point defects has drawn much attention by helping to explain rapid improvements in device efficiencies. However, little is known about how charge-carrier lifetime and solar cell performance in LHPs are affected by extrinsic defects (i.e., impurities), including those that are common in manufacturing environments and known to introduce deep levels in other semiconductors. Here, we evaluate the tolerance of LHP solar cells to iron introduced via intentional contamination of the feedstock and examine the root causes of the resulting efficiency losses. We find that comparable efficiency losses occur in LHPs at feedstock iron concentrations approximately 100 times higher than those in p-type silicon devices. Photoluminescence measurements correlate iron concentration with nonradiative recombination, which we attribute to the presence of deep-level iron interstitials, as calculated from first-principles, as well as iron-rich particles detected by synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy. At moderate contamination levels, we witness prominent recovery of device efficiencies to near-baseline values after biasing at 1.4 V for 60 s in the dark. We theorize that this temporary effect arises from improved charge-carrier collection enhanced by electric fields strengthened from ion migration toward interfaces. Lastly, our results demonstrate that extrinsic defect tolerance contributes to high efficiencies in LHP solar cells, which inspires further investigation into potential large-scale manufacturing cost savings as well as the degree of overlap between intrinsic and extrinsic defect tolerance in LHPs and 'perovskite-inspired' lead-free stable alternatives.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Fabrication of efficient low-bandgap perovskite solar cells by combining formamidinium tin iodide with methylammonium lead iodide

Mixed tin (Sn)-lead (Pb) perovskites with high Sn content exhibit low bandgaps suitable for fabricating the bottom cell of perovskite-based tandem solar cells. In this work, we report on the fabrication of efficient mixed Sn-Pb perovskite solar cells using precursors combining formamidinium tin iodide (FASnI 3 ) and methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ). The best-performing cell fabricated using a (FASnI 3 ) 0.6 (MAPbI 3 ) 0.4 absorber with an absorption edge of ~1.2 eV achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.08 (15.00)% with an open-circuit voltage of 0.795 (0.799) V, a short-circuit current density of 26.86(26.82) mA/cm 2 , and a fill factor of 70.6(70.0)% when measured under forward (reverse) voltage scan. In conclusion, the average PCE of 50 cells we have fabricated is 14.39 ± 0.33%, indicating good reproducibility.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

3-D Atomic-Scale Mapping of Manganese Dopants in Lead Sulfide Nanowires

Dopants in nanowires, whether intentional or unintentional, can ultimately control the material's properties and therefore need to be understood on the atomic scale. We study vapor-liquid-solid grown manganese-doped lead sulfide nanowires by atom-probe tomography for the first time for lead salt materials. The three-dimensional chemical concentration maps at the atomic scale demonstrate a radial distribution profile of Mn ions, with a concentration of only 0.18 at.% and 0.01 at.% for MnCl2 and Mn-acetate precursors, respectively. The ability to characterize these small concentrations of dopant atoms in Pb1-xMnxS nanowires (x = 0.0036 and 0.0002), important for spintronic and thermoelectric devices, sets a platform for similar analyses for all nanostructures. First-principles calculations confirm that Mn atoms substitute for Pb in the PbS structure.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

An integrated microfluidic chip with 40 MHz lead-free transducer for fluid analysis

The design, fabrication, and evaluation of a high-frequency transducer made from lead-free piezoceramic for the application of microfluidic analysis is described. Barium strontium zirconate titanate [(Ba{sub 0.95}Sr{sub 0.05})(Zr{sub 0.05}Ti{sub 0.95})O{sub 3}, abbreviated as BSZT] ceramic has been chosen to be the active element of the transducer. The center frequency and bandwidth of this high-frequency ultrasound transducer have been measured to be 43 MHz and 56.1%, respectively. The transducer was integrated into a microfluidic channel and used to measure the sound velocity and attenuation of the liquid flowing in the channel. Results suggest that lead-free high-frequency transducers could be used for in situ analysis of property of the fluid flowing through the microfluidic system.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Synthesis and Characterization of Lead Calcium Titanate Nanocomposite

Lead calcium titanate nanoparticles (PCT-NPs) were synthesized by the modified sol-gel method. The mixed metal alkoxide precursor was prepared by moderate refluxing using lead acetate, calcium acetate, titanium iso-propoxide and 2-methoxyethanol. The properties of PCT-NPs were studied as a function of calcination temperatures. Results from the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), indicated that the single-phase perovskite PCT-NPs were obtained after heat treatment at temperature of 700 deg. C. The average particle size of synthesized PCT-NPs was found to be around 30 nm from transition electron microscopy (TEM).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Laboratory Studies of Lead Removal from Liquid Scintillator in Preparation for KamLAND's Low Background Phase

The removal of Radon induced Lead from liquid scintillator was extensively studied in preparation for KamLAND's low background phase. This work presents the results from laboratory experiments performed at the University of Alabama and their implications for KamLAND and future low background experiments using carbon based liquid scintillator. It was observed that distillation was the most effective purification procedure and that one must consider a non-polar and non-ionic component of Lead in order to reach the levels of radio-purity required for these new class of ultra-low background experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Numerical study: Iron corrosion-resistance in lead-bismuth eutectic coolant by molecular dynamics method

In this present work, we report numerical results of iron (cladding) corrosion study in interaction with lead-bismuth eutectic coolant of advanced nuclear reactors. The goal of this work is to study how the oxygen can be used to reduce the corrosion rate of cladding. The molecular dynamics method was applied to simulate corrosion process. By evaluating the diffusion coefficients, RDF functions, MSD curves of the iron and also observed the crystal structure of iron before and after oxygen injection to the coolant then we concluded that a significant and effective reduction can be achieved by issuing about 2% number of oxygen atoms to lead-bismuth eutectic coolant.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Computational study: Reduction of iron corrosion in lead coolant of fast nuclear reactor

In this paper we report molecular dynamics simulation results of iron (cladding) corrosion in interaction with lead coolant of fast nuclear reactor. The goal of this work is to study effect of oxygen injection to the coolant to reduce iron corrosion. By evaluating diffusion coefficients, radial distribution functions, mean-square displacement curves and observation of crystal structure of iron before and after oxygen injection, we concluded that a significant reduction of corrosion can be achieved by issuing about 2% of oxygen atoms into lead coolant.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Synthesis of oxidation resistant lead nanoparticle films by modified pulsed laser ablation

Thin layers of lead nanoparticles have been produced by a modified pulsed laser ablation (PLA) process in which smaller nanoparticles were swept out of the ablation chamber by a stream of flowing Ar. Large ({mu}m-sized) particles, which are usually deposited during the standard PLA process, were successfully eliminated from the deposit. The nanoparticles deposited on room temperature substrates were well distributed, and the most probable particle diameter was in the order of 30 nm. Since lead is highly reactive, the nanoparticles formed in Ar were quickly oxidized upon exposure to air. A small partial pressure of H{sub 2}S gas was subsequently added to the effluent, downstream from the ablation chamber, and this resulted in the formation of nanoparticle deposits that were surprisingly oxidation resistant. The properties of the nanoparticle films (as determined by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and conductivity measurements) are reported, and the mechanism of the oxidation retardation process is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Performance optimization of solar cells based on colloidal lead sulfide nanocrystals

Colloidal semiconducting quantum dot nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted extensive interest as active building-block for low-cost solution-processed photovoltaic due to their size tunable absorption from the visible to near IR. Among various nanocrystal composition, lead sulfide (PbS), having a bulk bandgap of 0.41 eV, are particularly attractive for photovoltaic applications due to their excellent photosensitivity in the near IR. Starting from colloidal synthesis, in this project functional solar cells are fabricated and characterized based on the nearly monodispersed colloidal PbS nanocrystals that we synthesized. These NC-solar cells are fabricated under a “depleted heterojunction” device architecture containing a planar “tipe II” heretojunction formed by a layer of electron-transporting TiO{sub 2} and a layer of PbS NCs. Relevant structural, optical, and electrical characterizations are performed on NCs and their devices. To understand the operational mechanism of these NC-based solar cells, various material and device aspects are investigated in this work aiming for optimized photovoltaic performance. These aspects include the effect of: (1) NC dimensions (and thus their band gaps); (2) passivation of surface traps through post-synthesis treatments; (3) NC surface ligand-exchange; and (4) interfacial modifications at the heterojunction. The most optimized photovoltaic performance is found after combining the surface trap passivation strategy by halides, ligand-exchange by 3-mercaptopropionic acids, and interfacial TiCl4 treatment, leading to a peak open-circuit voltage of 0.53 V, a short-circuit current density of 14.03 mAcm{sup −2}, and a power conversion efficiency of 3.25%.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗