Process feasibility study in support of silicon material task 1. Quarterly technical progress report (XIII), September--December 1978

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6114010· OSTI ID:6114010

Li, K Y; Hansen, K C; Yaws, C L

Major activities during this reporting period centered on process system properties, chemical engineering and economic analyses. Analyses of process system properties was continued for materials involved in the alternate processes under consideration for solar cell grade silicon. The following property data are reported for trichlorosilane: critical constants, vapor pressure, heat of vaporization, gas heat capacity, liquid heat capacity, density, surface tension, viscosity, thermal conductivity, heat of formation of Gibb's free energy of formation. Major efforts were expended on completion of the preliminary economic analysis of the UCC Silane Process (Union Carbide Corporation Silane Process). Cost, sensitivity and profitability analysis results are presented based on a preliminary process design of a plant to produce 1,000 metric tons/year of silicon by the revised process. Fixed capital investment estimate for the plant is $9.19 million (1975 dollars). Product cost without profit is 6.90 $/kg of silicon (1975 dollars). The profitability results indicate a sales price of 9.88 $/kg of silicon (1975 dollars) at a 20% DCF return on investment after taxes. Major chemical engineering activities were started on the modified BCL process which includes additional data and engineering modification. The preliminary process design was initiated including specific base case conditions, reaction chemistry, process flow diagram and material balance for a plant to produce 1,000 Mt/yr of solar cell grade silicon.

• Research Organization: Lamar Univ., Beaumont, TX (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: NAS-7-100-954343
• OSTI ID: 6114010
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/954343-13
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
360603 -- Materials-- Properties
CAPITAL
CHEMICAL PLANTS
COST
CRITICAL PRESSURE
CRITICAL TEMPERATURE
DATA
DATA FORMS
DENSITY
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENTHALPY
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FREE ENTHALPY
GRAPHS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INFORMATION
INVESTMENT
ISOLATED VALUES
MATERIAL BALANCE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
PURIFICATION
SEMIMETALS
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SPECIFIC HEAT
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION HEAT
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
VAPOR PRESSURE
VAPORIZATION HEAT
VISCOSITY